The Hero
by RMVthewriter
Summary: In his final moments of life, Jaune realizes the truth. Now, back where it all began, he has to relive his whole life with the illusion shattered. COMPLETED.
1. The End

The moment that the black arrow pierced his heart, he realized it.

He had come so far from his days at Beacon, when he was called Vomit Boy and all his problems had to do with bullies. He missed those days, but he hadn't let it stop him. He pushed on.

He started to think it not soon after the fall of Beacon. At first, he was unsure. The thought plagued him, an impure seed within his heart. How would his friends react if they heard it? Would they laugh and push him down, would they be disgusted by his self righteousness, would they, dare he think it, agree with him? Whatever the case, he made sure to never bring it up. And now he was glad he hadn't because looking like a fool right before his death would have been all too fitting.

To be fair, it wasn't like he was grasping at straws, the signs had been there, but so had Ruby's, though he didn't recognize it then. He was the underdog, his aura wasn't even unlocked yet! But so was Ruby, coming to Beacon two years early. The only difference between the two of them was that… She had earned it. He faked his way into Beacon.

He trained day and night to keep up with everyone else. But so did Ruby, in her own way. He trained to prove himself to his classmates, she trained to stop criminals from ravishing Vale. As he went down this line of thought, his trials and tribulations were looking less and less pure.

Still, there was one thing he had over Ruby. His first love, Pyrrha, had been killed by Cinder. If nothing else proved it, this was the one piece of evidence that held up. How could it not be true when he had a reason to fight, to avenge his love! Except… Everyone had a reason to fight. Ren and Nora for their hometown, Blake for her redemption, Yang for her family, Weiss for Neptune, and all of them, for their friends. Ignoring Weiss, none of them fought to avenge, until now. Because in this moment, Ruby was fighting to avenge. Avenge him, Jaune Rose Arc. He fought for a love that he had never forgotten, but had certainly moved past. She fought for the death of her husband, a death occurring right as he thought these words.

As he looked at her, laying on the floor, surrounded by an ever growing pool of his own blood, he realized yet another reason why it was her and not him. Her eyes. Her beautiful silver eyes were full of distress in this moment, but they still shone as bright as the moon, and now they were beginning to shine even more. He caressed her cheek, mutter an 'I love you' as everything started to go black. She was shouting something, but he couldn't hear it. He was too far gone.

His entire life had prepared him for this moment, but it wasn't in the way he expected. From Ruby to Ren, he had made so many friends in Beacon, all of them he was willing to die for. And honestly, he thought he would, but not like this. With the sheer amount of caring and loving his friends had shown him, any person who watched a movie could guess he would make the sacrifice. In his mind, he prepared himself, even envisioned how the scene would go. He and Ruby would be fighting Salem as she got more and more powerful, eventually getting near the point of no return, where she had almost absorbed enough aura to become unstoppable. Then Ruby would give him an opening, and seconds before it was too late, he would plunge Crocea Mors into Salem's chest, ending her for good. Of course, he wouldn't come out unscathed, as her manifested aura would be going straight through him. Hence, the 'sacrifice' part. Salem would explode in a glorious light, and he would collapse into Ruby's arms, wishing her a final goodbye before reuniting with Pyrrha in the afterlife. Everything pointed to that, but Ruby had been shown just as much love as he had, if not, then more. Not in the least part from him. This was her fight just as much as it was his, and now, it was all her's.

His final act sealed the fact in stone. The others were fighting Salem's pawns outside the throne room, as he and Ruby snuck past to confront the madwoman herself. As Ozpin had said, 'Take down the king, and nothing else matters.' Why him and Ruby? Well it was simple. Ruby for her eyes, and Jaune for his semblance. It took him years to realize, but when he did, he grew exponentially more powerful. He could give and drain aura to and from people. The reason why he such a large aura reserve going into Beacon was because he was subconsciously stealing aura from everyone around him, never using it because it was locked away. With the ability to focus his power, all his enemies crumbled before him. The idea was that he could stall for time by stealing Salem's aura while she grew more and more powerful. With this power, he had assumed that it was him, but he now understood why it was Ruby. His final act was to charge Ruby full of all the aura he had within him, making her explode with power. Now with her silver eyes and husband's aura, she was going to defeat the Empress of the Grimm.

All signs pointed to him, all signs pointed to her. Now he understood the truth. All he could do now was accept it. And feeling the cold embrace of death, that was exactly what he did.

* * *

His eyes shot open and he threw up into a trash can. Picking himself up from the mess, he looked around. He was on the airship to Beacon, for the first time ever. He saw Ruby and Yang talking and he had to know whether or not it was all a dream. Concentrating, and praying, he reached out to a nearby person and tugged. They stumbled a bit, feeling weak, and he felt cured of his motion sickness. Closing his eyes, he let out a shuddered sigh. It wasn't a dream. Which meant all of it was real, and had happened, and would happen again. The realization that had tormented the last few moments of his former life came back into his head. A single tear fell down his face.

"I'm not the hero."

* * *

 **Does anyone else get random one-shot ideas in the shower? Because that's how this came to be. If you liked it, or if you didn't, be sure to leave a review. It would greatly help my writing. And if you want this to be a series, leave a review for that too. Considering how starved for reviews I am on my other story, I'd probably continue this one for only five reviews.**

 **If I was to continue, it'd be something like an angsty Jaune trying to solve problems but accidentally making them worse while dealing with loving both Pyrrha and Ruby. I don't actually know where I'd be going with it, but I'd figure something out.**

 **Anyway, it's past eleven in my time zone and I'm not going to bed for another three hours, so let me get to it. Maybe this has all been a hallucination, and this entire one-shot is just a jumble of words I made while smashing my hands on my keyboard. Who knows at this point?**

 **Until next time,**

 **-AGR**


	2. A Rocky Start

A new beginning meant a new problem. Not to mention a whole lot of questions.

Now this problem wasn't a normal one, he already knew plenty of those to come. No, this was a moral problem, coming along because he knew of the ones to come.

Ruby was chosen by Fate for a reason, he had no doubt of that, and he was chosen to grant her strength. These two things were spelled out all too clear for him. But now he was back at the beginning. Not something he had exactly planned for.

A test. Perhaps that was it. Fate had brought him here to test his resolve, unhappy that he had grown so full of himself the first time was a test to ask whether he could accept his place in the world, or if he was overcome by his foresight, and used it to get ahead. And in that laid the problem. Could he sit back and let everything repeat down the same path? Could he let Cinder get away with her plans, let innocent people get hurt, let Pyrrha die again?! He didn't know if he had the strength for it.

Do you believe in destiny?

Pyrrha's final words to the world. Cinder had revealed this in one of their many fights to weaken him, but it had done the opposite. Yes. He believed in destiny and that destiny brought him to where he was today. Which was… Not where he expected to be, but he was here anyway. Her words hardened his resolve and gave him hope that, Fate willing, his destiny would bring him to the death of Salem and all her wicked pawns. And it had, for the most part. Pyrrha's words had given him strength for the sixteen years he had needed it and he repeated to himself before every battle he fought.

Yes. He believed in destiny. And he would be able to get through eighteen years of life without changing a thing. Thinking about just how long he had to go made him lose some hope, but he quickly built it back up again.

Do you believe in destiny?

"Yes. I believe in destiny. I can do this." A crash followed by a bang knocked him out of his thoughts and told him the Ruby had just me Weiss. Looking up, he saw that she had just met Blake as well. It was almost his cue. He wouldn't mess it up. He took a deep breath.

Do you believe in destiny?

"Yes. I believe in destiny." He walked over to Ruby, who had collapsed to the floor.

"Huff… Welcome to Beacon." Her younger voice sent shivers of remembrance down his spine. Casting a shadow over her face, he offered his hand.

"Hey. Need a hand? I'm Jaune." Ruby opened her eyes and gave him a small smile, taking his hand and lifting herself up. He gave her a cool smile.

"Aren't you the guy that threw up on the airship?" Her question caught him off guard and he realized his second major problem. He didn't have a perfect memory. Yeah, he remembered the first time he met Ruby, Pyrrha, and the rest, but had no clue on the specifics. For someone trying to get everything just as it was before, that was a major problem.

"He- Hey! Don't make fun of my motion sickness!" That was what he said next right?

And then he went into a rant about how motion sickness was a serious problem. Yeah, that sounded familiar. Hopefully Fate would forgive him a few small errors if he tried to do the right thing.

* * *

After bullshtting his way through that conversation, a very stressful task, he finally reached a conversation he remembered vividly.

"Look, I'm sorry. Vomit Boy was the first thing that came to mind." At this he grinned. Whenever Ruby was feeling particularly nostalgic, she would call him that, then he would respond with his own nickname.

"Oh yeah? What if I called you Crater Face?" After saying that, the two of them would transition into roleplaying. And from there… Other things. Just thinking about the, ahem, 'good times,' was enough to give him a light blush, though Ruby didn't notice it.

"Hey! That explosion was an accident!" He chuckled, enjoying his reminiscing more than anything.

"Well the name's Jaune Arc. Short, sweet, rolls of the tongue. Ladies love it."

"Do they?"

"You will." His voice dropped an octave, giving him a husky sound. Ruby stopped and looked at him weird. He was so use to his 'good times' after that conversation, that he had completely forgotten he where he was for a moment. His face turned as red as Ruby's cloak. "Ahem. Sorry… That was… Sorry." She stared at him for a moment more before deciding to ignore his outburst.

"Anyway… I got this thing." She reached somewhere in her dress and pulled out Crescent Rose. He still had no idea where she fit it, even now.

"Woah. Is that a scythe?" His tone was not that of a person being surprised, but that of a person spotting a long lost friend in a crowd. He couldn't count the amount of times he had seen that scythe in battle, slicing through Grimm, Human, and Faunus alike.

"It's also a customizable, high impact sniper." He couldn't resist the grin.

"It's also a gun." Ruby nodded her head.

"It's also a gun." She confirmed. "So what do you have?"

"I got a sword." He pulled Crocea Mors from its sheath.

"Nice."

"And a shield." He turned his sheath into a shield.

"So what do they do?"

"Oh they-" He stopped himself. In his past, the future, Crocea Mors had stayed the same, but the shield had gotten a big upgrade. Instead of turning into a sheath, it turned into a bolt action crossbow. But it didn't do that now. So he couldn't say it. "They… Don't do anything. Sorry." Ruby seemed disappointed, but tried to reassure him.

"Well, I'm a bit of a dork when it comes to weapons. So I might have gone a little overboard designing it."

"You designed that?"

"Of course! All students at Signal forge their own weapons. Didn't you make yours?" He looked at the yellow death which had brought him so far.

"It's a hand-me-down." He said foundly. "My great-great-grandfather used it to fight in the war."

"Sounds more like a family heirloom to me." Ruby joked. He smiled.

"It is. And one day, I'll give it to my son…" He frowned. He wasn't supposed to say that. He didn't have any dreams of a family until he was twenty-five, three years after he married Ruby. Though, he now knew that those dreams would never come true, but that was besides the point. "Umm… Just ignore what I said." Ruby, as reliable as ever, did just that.

"I like it. Not many people have an appreciation for the classics these days."

"Yeah, the classics." There was a moment of silence, then Ruby looked around.

"Hey, where are we going?"

"Oh. To the grand hall. It's this way." He turned them around and began to lead. Wait. He wasn't supposed to know that. But with Ruby following him like a lost puppy, he couldn't change his course. Damn. Fate, forgive him.

* * *

 **I didn't actually get five request, but it does have six followers, which might as well be a review to continue. So I did. Because why not? I don't know exactly where I'm going, like in my other story, but I'll get it eventually. I make this update so those who wanted a series,know that it's in the works. Though it might not be updated as frequently.**

 **Hopefully I met all your expectations. And if I didn't, feel free to criticism me in a review because,**

 **As always, helpful criticism welcome. Until next time,**

 **-RMV**


	3. The First of Many

He managed to stall for a bit and they got to the grand hall at roughly the same time as before. At least, he assumed so, considering the same thing that happened before happened again.

"Hey Ruby! I save you a spot!" Yang called as soon as he and Ruby were in the doors. Ruby smiled at her sister and turned to him.

"Hey, I gotta go. But I'll see you after the ceremony!"

"Okay. Bye! I love you…" The last part he said in his head, luckily. And like that, his beautiful angel of death was gone, leaving him alone to his thoughts. Not exactly a situation he wanted to be in at the moment, so instead, he got to his spot at the front of the crowd, close enough to overhear Ruby talk to her sister. Just like last time.

"So… How's your first day going, little sis?" Yang asked. It was weird to hear her that upbeat again. Once she had lost both her legs, her humor started to die off. And he would have to watch that scene of Emerald cutting through her torso again… Blood, everywhere… Not even sure if she would live through the process…

Damn thoughts, they tried to drag him astray, but he would maintain his course, no matter what.

Do you believe in destiny?

"Yes. I believe in destiny." He muttered to himself. He took a breath and listened back in on the conversation.

"Read this and don't ever speak to me again." Icequeen… So elegant and proper, especially before-

No. He couldn't keep going down memory lane every time he saw a familiar face. If he did, his desires would overcome him by the end of the day, and he'd snap. No. He would stay in the present. The past and future hurt too much anyway.

Do you believe in destiny?

"Yes I believe in destiny." He leaned back in to listen.

"And we could paint our nails, and talk to cute boys! Like tall, blond, and talks to himself, over there." That didn't sound right. It seemed even the littlest changes could have consequences. He had only muttered to himself twice, yet Weiss decided to call him out on it. Having the proper behavior added a whole new layer of challenge to mission. He would not fail though, he could not.

"Ahem. I'll… Keep this brief." Ozpin had taken the stage, silencing the restless crowd. "You have come here today in search of knowledge. To hone your craft and acquire new skills. And when you are finished, you plan to dedicate your life to the protection of the people." Jaune chuckled morbidly. Oh they had dedicated their lives alright, their lives, and so much more. "But I look amongst you, and all I see is wasted energy. In need of purpose, direction. You assume knowledge will free you of this, but your time at this school will prove that knowledge can only carry you so far… It is up to you to take the first step." As he said his final lines, he looked directly at Ruby.

Ozpin had known who the hero was. It was the reason why Ruby was in this school, the reason why he had trained her and exclusively her, the reason why she was there, at his death, to avenge him. Ozpin had known the truth from the moment he laid eyes on Ruby. He had always known.

Glynda stepped up to the microphone.

"Tomorrow your initiation begins. Be ready. You are dismissed." Short, sweet, to the point. As always with-

No no no. He couldn't remember. He wouldn't allow himself to.

The crowd dispersed, leaving him and a few stragglers alone in the grand hall. He got the feeling that he had forgotten to do something, but it was pointless to try and remember now. He just had to make his way to the sleeping quarters and keep his head down.

* * *

Sitting alone in his sleeping bag was agonizing. If he left his eyes opened, he would see the faces of his comrades and start to remember, and if he closed his eyes, he would see their corpses.

He wasn't sure which hurt more.

In the end, his night consisted of his motto being repeated three hundred and sixty-two times, followed by a nightmare.

* * *

He was in a cavern, the only light being from a hole in the ceiling, thirty feet up. He looked to the ground, but wished he didn't. Covering the floor were dozens of bodies, each one a former friend. Right underneath him was Ruby. He collapsed to the ground.

"No!" He cried, cradling her head in his lap. "You're not dead! You survive! You're the hero!"

At the word hero, the walls started to move. Closer and closer, they came together, pushing the bodies into a taller and taller pile. To avoid being crushed, he had to step on them, carrying Ruby as he climbed to the top.

When he was twenty-two feet up, almost able to reach the exit, he looked and saw Pyrrha. Her golden glow staring down at him. The momentary distraction made him falter, and his leg was caught. Pyrrha reached out her hand, and he was able to reach it, but doing so would mean dropping Ruby, and he couldn't bring himself to let go. Resignation on his face, he watched as Pyrrha's light faded away, leaving him to be crushed by his fallen friends.

* * *

He woke up gleaming with sweat, his onsie not helping in the slightest. He was panting, trying to regain his sense of self, when a hand was placed on his shoulder.

"You okay Jaune? You looked like you were having a nightmare. Is it from the stress." There was Ruby, above him, already dressed for the day. He must have overslept.

"Yeah… Stress…" She didn't know the half of it.

Do you believe in destiny?

Yes I believe in destiny.

* * *

 **Jaune fought Salem for a long time, and in that time, a lot of things happened. The good memories fade, but the bad, they stick with you forever.**

 **I've gotten the plot down, as well as the ending. But I'm not quite sure about what's gonna happen on a chapter to chapter basis. I know where it'll begin to get really AU, at the docks, but what happens after that, I'm not sure yet.**

 **Also, I haven't nailed down the future timeline just yet, so please point it out if you see any inconsistencies.**

 **Helpful criticism welcome. Until next time,**

 **-AGR**


	4. A Real Challenge

Today was crucial. Today they got partners and teams. Everything had to go right. If he couldn't get Pyrrha to actively try to be his partner, all was lost. At that point… He didn't want to think how Fate would punish him.

The conversation before hand was vital to his success. Which was why he was hiding behind his locker, waiting for his cue. Did he look weird and stalkerish to passerbys? Yes. Did that matter? He sure hoped not.

"Maybe we could be on a team together!" Weiss begged Pyrrha with the subtlety of a crashing truck. Actually listening to Weiss try to get Pyrrha on her team was really weird. He never expected to hear Weiss kiss ass again, especially not to someone of the same age as her. After the fall of Beacon, she had all but lost her faith in authority, finding it better for everyone if she took the charge. At least, until-

No! No thinking. Only planning.

Do you believe in destiny?

"Yes I believe in destiny." He took a breath for what was the most important thing he had done in his life. This life, he meant. He had missed his cue, but he could work around that.

"Speaking of great things! The names Jaune Arc. Nice to meet ya." He focused in on Weiss, remembering that he had been stunned by her beauty when he first saw her. Huh. He actually had a crush on Weiss once. And he did all those stupid romantic things that he'd have to do again… Once you realize something you do is stupid, it always feels so much worse when you have to do it again. Like a veil has been lifted over your eyes. Anyway. Where was he? While he had spaced out, Weiss and Pyrrha had said their pieces and were awkwardly waiting for him to speak.

"Well?" Weiss asked harshly. "Are you gonna say something or just stare at me?" He thought on his feet.

"Sorry. I was encapsulated by your beauty, is all." She gave him a skeptical look.

"You were frowning."

"Heh heh." He laughed nervously. "That's just the face I get when I'm encapsulated. Yeah. That makes sense. Anyway! Heard you were looking for a teammate, and I happen to have an available spot. What do you say?" He flashed her a charming smile, something he had gotten good at over the years. She scowled, as expected.

"Yeah right. Spaces out and talks to himself? Just stay away from me." Internally, he frowned. This was getting off track. Pyrrha had to comment or he was doomed, he couldn't improvise forever.

"That's not a 'No,' so I'll take it as a 'Yes.'" Weiss huffed. Pyrrha still hadn't said anything and Jaune was starting to have a panic attack. But, in a moment of divine inspiration, he was saved. He turned to Pyrrha. "I'm sorry to have hijacked your teammate, but it looks like she's found someone else."

"Actually, I think the teams are comprised of four students each so…" Pyrrha remarked. Jaune grinned.

"Well hot stuff, play your cards right, and you might be able to join us." Weiss jumped in between them. If there was one thing young-Weiss was reliable for, it was defended her idols, which usually consisted of adults and apparently Pyrrha, as he just found out. That was still weird. He wasn't paying attention to the conversation again. They were looking at him expectantly. "Umm… What did you ask?" Weiss growled in frustration.

"I said, 'Do you even know who you're talking to?'" He nodded his head in confirmation. He was getting to the big stuff. Hopefully he could sell it. Did roleplay count as acting practice?

Focus!

"Not in the slightest."

"This is Pyrrha." Weiss introduced. Pyrrha gave him a little wave. Damn, she was being more reserved this time. He had a challenge on his hands. "Pyrrha graduated top of her class in Sanctum."

"Never heard of it." He gave the best 'I don't know anything' look he could. If Weiss, Yang, Blake, Ren, or pretty much anyone of his friends was to go by, he had a good one. It was an insult then, but right now, he would've taken it in stride. Anything to boost his confidence.

"She's won the Mistral regional tournament four times in a row. A new record."

"The what?" Weiss got fed up with his ignorance. That was a good sign.

"She's on the front of every Pumpkin Pete's Marshmallow Flakes box!"

"That's you?! They only do that for star athletes and cartoon characters! I love that stuff!" Pyrrha shifted nervously.

"Yeah. It was pretty cool. Sadly, the cereal isn't very good for you." Pyrrha admitted. Weiss jumped back in the middle.

"So after hearing all this, do you really think you're in a position to ask her on your team?" He hung his head.

"I guess not. Sorry." He waited one second. Then two. Then three. Nothing.

Fuck fuck fuck! He messed it all up! She didn't like him! And now she wouldn't help him out during the initiation, and they wouldn't be partners, and all the teams would be mixed, and everything was ruined! Fuck! Everything was ruined… Because of him…

He put his face in his hands and let out a shuddered breath. Then he paused, because someone had put a hand on his shoulder. He looked up, Pyrrha, his precious Pyrrha, was looking down to him. Equipped with a reassuring smile, it was one of the most beautiful things he had ever seen. In this life, and the one before.

"Actually Jaune, I think you'd make a great partner. You just gotta stand up for yourself." His face… Like a child on their birthday times ten. He beamed, no, radiated with happiness.

"You think so…?" Seeing his happiness, Pyrrha was infected. Her smile grew as well.

"I do."

"Ugh. Stop encouraging him!" He spun to meet the ruiner of the moment.

"Pyrrha's onboard! Spots are filling up fast, Weiss. What do you say now?" He leaned in towards her. She took a step back.

"Alright. That's too close. Pyrrha, a little help here?" It was the first time that her spear had pinned him to something, certainly not the last with his training.

The announcements went off, but Jaune wasn't listening. He just sat there, pinned to the wall, grinning like a madman. Pyrrha pulled the spear out as she walked away.

"It was nice meeting you." She called, exiting the locker room.

"Likewise…" He sighed, stood, and threw up in the nearest garbage can. Ruby and Yang walked over to him. "Motion sickness." He gave his excuse.

"And nerves?" Ruby added knowingly. He laughed.

"And nerves. Definitely nerves." Ruby draped him over her shoulder.

"Come on Jaune, Let's go." He leaned his head on hers. Not an intimate enough gesture for Yang to get pissed, but just enough to be comforting.

"Thanks Ruby." The 'I love you' was implied.

* * *

 **Jaune knew things would be tough, but he was not prepared for** **this** **. He's not good with stressful situations, as we can tell. I can relate. What about you? Or perhaps that's too personal. Things sure got personal for Jaune, though. I'm sure we'll dive even deeper into his pysche next chapter.**

 **I like the idea of chapters being log continuous scenes, as a contrast from my other story which jumps around between perspectives a lot. I'm also a fan of the idea that Jaune thinks in real time like normal people. In some fanfictions, characters will go through the appearance and entire backstory of another character within the span of a second. But Jaunes not like that, which is too bad for him because he's got a lot to think about.**

 **As for pairings, Jaune loves Ruby more than he loves Pyrrha. They got married and spent eighteen years of their life together, so of course he does. But he does love Pyrrha. At first it was as a friend, Jaune seems like the type to love his friends to me, but when she kissed him, it became something else. And that something else created a void in Jaune that wasn't filled until he started dating Ruby. So he does love Pyrrha romantically, but not as much.**

 **Saying that, he's about to spend almost twenty-four seven with Pyrrha, granted he doesn't mess up the initiation, and this time, he can sense the sexual tension. Before, romance with Pyrrha was an afterthought, a 'could have been,' but now. It is a very possible scenario. So we'll see how he deals with that, huh?**

 **In other news. As I said last time, I plan for the plot to diverge around the end of Volume One. Though that's not set in stone, so don't count on it. We'll get there eventually guys, I promise. And for Jaune knowing about Cinder's plan, he married Ruby, so they've definitely talked all about it. How much he remembers is a different story, especially when monotonous school work gets in the way.**

 **It's only been three days since I made an update, but it feels like forever ago. Maybe it's because I love to write, or maybe I'm just weird. Who knows?**

 **As always, helpful criticism welcome. Until next time,**

 **-AGR**


	5. Initiation Day Part One

He tuned out Ozpin and Glynda as they gave their speel about partners and teams and how they worked, instead taking the time to get his priorities straight. He had to remember that the cliffs were a good place to do that actually. Being able to look out into the horizon, not seeing any of his doomed compatriots, really calmed him. If it wasn't for the impending launch, he would have been completely at peace.

Priorities. The school year didn't have much in terms of him doing things, but as he saw earlier today, even him talking differently changed things. If he stuck to his gut, the important conversations should come to him. Not to mention, as the year went by, hopefully he would start to be reminded of things. That was a big 'maybe' though. If Fate had mercy on him, his side conversations wouldn't mean much, and everything would lead towards the same end goal. But in more immediate terms, all he had to worry about was screaming when-

Completely unaware that the rest of his classmates had been fired away, he was launched into the air with a lurch and his stomach churned. In the back of his mind, he was actually glad that had happened. It meant that he didn't have to try and fake his scream of terror. Now, screaming, he just had to hope and pray Pyrrha would do what she so kindly did all those years ago.

He looked down, still screaming. The trees were getting awfully close. He looked around for any sign of her spear, while screaming, but he didn't see anything. He braced himself for the impact, screaming. It certainly wouldn't kill him, but he'd have to try really hard to find Pyrrha before anyone else did.

 _WOOSH!_

The tips of the leaves had barely touched his shoes when he was pulled to the side, smashing into a tree.

"Thank you!" He shouted to Pyrrha, knowing that she was listening. And that was it. As long as he got the right chess piece, damn Ozpin and his chess fetish, he would be home free. Once that happened, he didn't do anything vital for the rest of the initiation except… Lead.

He had completely forgotten about his first experience as a leader. This fight made Ozpin choose him to be the leader of JNPR. That meant skipping the giant fuck off Death Stalker wasn't an option. He sighed. There was no easy way to do this. Every challenge he had faced before, he would face again. He couldn't, no, wouldn't cut corners. This was all for them, afterall. He just had to keep reminding himself of that.

Do you believe in destiny?

"Yes I believe in destiny." And speak of Salem and she shall come, Pyrrha finally made it to him, looking as prim as ever. Like she hadn't run three miles to find him in time. Weiss didn't find him this time. Or perhaps he just didn't notice her while he was in thought. Regardless, here was his savior.

"Jaune? Are you okay?" He smiled.

"I'm fine. Can you get me down though?" With precision accuracy, Pyrrha climbed up the side of the tree and ripped out her spear, causing Jaune to fall to the ground

 _THUMP!_

"Ow…" Pyrrha jumped down next to him, decidedly more graceful.

"So… Does this mean we're partners?" He got up off the ground and looked Pyrrha in the eye. For a moment, he was transported back to here and now, but last time. Back when the biggest worry on his mind was if anyone would find out he faked his way into Beacon, and his biggest dream was to become a Huntsman. Back when he didn't know what was coming next. Pyrrha coughed, snapping him out of his reminiscing.

"Oh! Uh… Ye- Yes. We are partners now." It was official. He could finally check something off his list. Things weren't perfectly identical, but he had done it. If this was a sign of the future, his plan was on course. Pyrrha coughed again. He shook his head and looked around. "Sorry about that. Which way are we going?"

"I believe that way is where we should be heading." He nodded and gestured for her to lead the way. Now it was time for the Death Stalker cave.

* * *

He had completely forgotten that he hadn't had his aura unlocked when he came to Beacon the first time around. The reason he remembered, getting hit in the face with a branch.

"Sorry Jaune." Pyrrha apologized looking at his wound. He brushed her off.

"It's not that bad. Don't worry about it." She kept staring at him then tilted her head.

"Why don't you activate your aura?"

"Huh?" He touched his cheek to find that the scratch was still there. His aura should have healed it already, but he felt nothing happening. He tried to manually reach out to the cut, but he couldn't do it. "That's not right…" He knew he had aura. He had used it almost the moment he had arrived, but it refused to heal his body. It actually refused to combine with his body all together! Then he realized what was happening. Fate was intervening. He looked back to Pyrrha who was glancing at him worryingly. "Umm… This is gonna sound crazy, but I don't actually have my aura unlocked yet." Pyrrha's eyes widened.

"You made it to Beacon without Aura?" She was astonished. He kicked the ground, falsely bashful.

"Yeah… It's embarrassing, so I don't normally tell other people. Do you think… You could unlock it now?" She shook herself out of her stupor. Somehow, he could tell that she looked at him differently. That probably wasn't a good sign.

"Of course. Close your eyes and concentrate." She told him. He did as he was told without question. She put her hand on his cheek. The first time, he had concentrated on his dream, but now, he focused on his mission. He would make things as they should be.

Do you believe in destiny?

Yes I believe in destiny. He focused on that thought as Pyrrha began to speak.

"For it is in passing that we achieve immortality. Through this, we become a paragon of virtue and glory to rise above all. Infinite in distance and unbound by death, I release your soul, and by my shoulder, protect thee." As she spoke, the familiar sensation of his aura awakening came to him. But this time, there was something more. At her last word, she collapsed slightly, and he felt infinitely more connected with his body, as if he had been numb this entire time. Not only that, but he felt his aura, but it wasn't his aura. It was like he was feeling double, one aura inside of him, old and weary, the other on the outside, fresh and new. It was… Strange. Like an old friend without their glasses, or twins with different haircuts. Similar, yet unique.

Reaching out, he healed the cut on his cheek. He looked to Pyrrha, who had recovered and was now gauging his reaction.

"Thank you, Pyrrha." She smiled at him.

"Anytime."

* * *

 **Things are looking up for Jaune. He didn't have any PTSD flashbacks at all today! I hope he enjoys his peace while he can, because that'll definitely be changing next chapter. And his aura… I have big plans for that.**

 **I tried some onomatopoeia this time, just to spice things up a bit. Is it too much? What do you think? I wanted to get all of the initiation out of the way, but I decided not to overwork and just split it in half. The next part will come eventually.**

 **Not much to say this time, so that's all for now.**

 **Helpful criticism welcome. Until next time,**

 **-AGR**


	6. Initiation Day Part Two

After a few more minutes of walking, he and Pyrrha arrived at the cave. Mentally preparing himself, he took a deep breath.

"Do you think this is it?" Pyrrha shrugged. "Well, let's find out." He got to work making a torch, trying his hardest not to sense what he knew was inside.

Do you believe in destiny.

Yes I believe in destiny.

He led the pair as the descended into the pitch black cave. He knew what was coming and he knew he could beat it, yet the idea of purposefully leading danger to his friends and him was not one that sat well in his mind. They were nearly at the Death Stalker when Pyrrha voiced her concerns.

"I'm not sure this is it." He sighed.

"Too late now…" He muttered. He looked to her and tried to hide his nervous expression. "I already made the torch Pyrrha, just humor me for five more-" He stopped right before he fell into the puddle. Then, only because he had to, he fell in anyway.

With the lights out, he got up. Now it was time for him to let things take their course.

"Do you feel that?" Pyrrha asked suddenly.

"Soul crushing regret?" Or perhaps it all of his mistakes in life that he had unknowingly done, and now had to do over regardless of the consequences. But that probably wasn't it.

"No, it's… Warm." Even Grimm gave off body heat, though he wasn't supposed to know that just yet. Ignoring her comment and the ever growing realization of how many times he had led his friends to danger, he pressed on.

"Well, if we turn around now, we're just gonna get lost, so let's maintain course. Look, I think I see a light." They continued their walk in the silent dark, leaving him to his thoughts. A place he hated going more and more.

For most of his life, he was… inept, for lack of a better word. As much as he hated to admit it, it was the truth. His friends had to carry him as he literally fed off of them, with his semblance. In his previous life, he couldn't help the way he was and it wore on him, until he finally had enough. That night at the camp…

No. He wouldn't think about it. He would just continue his previous line of thought, though it wasn't much better.

Now, he was the exact opposite. Instead of being babysat, he was the babysitter, overlooking everything to make sure it was all on course. But was that right? Was he really doing the right thing by letting everything stay as it should? Maybe he should-

"Jaune! Look." Thankfully, Pyrrha had knocked him out of his thoughts before he had committed himself to anything crazy. He took a moment to reassure himself before continuing on.

Do you believe in destiny?

Yes I believe in destiny.

"Do you think that's the relic?" He asked her, already painfully aware of the answer. She was hesitant. Considering it was a giant, pointy, floating stinger, he understood her delay.

"Maybe… I'm not sure…" He sighed.

"Only one way to find out." He turned to the glowing stinger and grabbed it with both hands. It lifted him up in the air.

"Jaune…" Pyrrha's eyes widened as the monstrous Grimm glowed to life.

"Well, this isn't good." He couldn't muster up the screaming, having been reminding himself of this moment for the past five minutes, so he made a witty remark instead. "You should start running." He told his partner as the Grimm began to click and screech. With only a moment's hesitation, she was out of there, Death Stalker close behind.

Pyrrha busted out of the cave with barely any time to spare. Soon after her, the entrance was destroyed, and the Grimm was release to the world, him on its tail. There was a pun there, but he wouldn't go that low.

"Pyrrha! Help!" He wasn't as distressed as he should have been, but he figured it wouldn't matter in a few moments. Regardless, he should work on his acting skills the next time he got some alone time, he was gonna be using them a lot.

"Jaune!" She shouted, sounding more worried than he did. "Whatever you do, don't let-" She was cut off by him purposefully letting go of the Death Stalker's stinger, going flying away. Never a fan of being in the air, he actually did let out a proper scream this time.

As he flew, he saw Ruby, right on time. He wasn't supposed to change anything, but to his defense, this was all instinct.

In midair, he corrected himself, so that Ruby landed in his arms. He tucked her in safely, and then maneuvered back around, so that his back hit the tree, leaving Ruby completely unharmed.

 _BAM!_

It hurt a lot more than last time, but he supposed that was the punishment for disobeying Fate's plan, no matter how small the action. He groaned.

"Ugh… Are you okay Ruby?" She looked around frantically, checking over herself.

"Yeah… Not a scratch. Are you okay Jaune? Nice catch, by the way." He smiled.

"Thanks." He looked out of the tree, Nora and Ren had arrived and Pyrrha had just come into the clearing with the Death Stalker close behind. "Well. Time to get down." He picked himself off the tree, his outer aura already done healing his back, then he jumped down. He landed softly on his feet, and set Ruby down on hers. She was blushing slightly, finally realizing the position they were just in. He smiled at her and she turned away.

"I think I see Yang over there, come on!" She pulled him by the hand as he tried to fight the big grin off his face.

"Ruby?" Her sister said, surprised by their entrance.

"Yang!" Ruby went for the hug.

"Nora!" Nora cut in, as rambunctious as ever.

"Aaaah!"

 _THUMP!_

And that was Weiss, who he had completely forgotten about. Fate was gonna get him bad for that one. Pyrrha slid in and, well, Yang said it best.

"Great! The gang's all here. Now we can die together!" Ruby smirked.

"Not if I can help it." As much as he wanted to, he restrained himself from holding back Ruby. He was getting lazy, changing too many things, he had to let it take its course! No matter what it entailed.

Do you believe in destiny?

"Yes I believe in destiny." He repeated it to himself three times while Ruby, Yang, and Weiss did their job of halting the Grimm in its tracks. Seeing Ruby get stuck, he almost had a heart attack, and was taken back to the countless time she had rushed in on their adventures, only to get herself in trouble that he couldn't save her from. He almost fell to his knees from the sheer weight of emotions, taking shuddered breaths. Weiss saving her allowed him to compose himself. Only Pyrrha had seen his moment of weakness, but she thankfully didn't comment.

They all came back to the altar for the relics and he moved things along.

"Alright. Let's get the relics and get out guys. No point in dilly dallying. Making it back to the cliffs is our only objective." He distinctly remembered all those things being said, but his memory of these events was semi-muddled by his fear at the time.

"Run and live. Good idea." Ruby commented, walking up to the altars with him. Didn't he say that? He must've messed something up. No matter. Ruby grabbed the knight and he was relieved. The teams were correct, now all he had to do was lead.

The ice restraining the Death Stalker started to crack and Ren mentioned for them to leave.

"Let's go!" Ruby took off, and Jaune was not far behind.

* * *

They made it to the ruins just before the cliffs, and hid behind pillars as the Nevermore landed on a tower in front of them, screeching. Then the Death Stalker bursted in from the trees and his memory became little help to him. In this moment, in his past life, instincts had taken over completely, leaving him little recollection of the event. With no other option, he did just that, let his instincts take over.

"Everyone! Run to the bridge. Nora, cover us! Ren and Blake, make sure that Death Stalker doesn't take Nora out!" The moment he yelled his orders, he was taken back. To times where they were evacuating towns from Grimm invasions, back when those towns were still around. But unlike all the time before, he wasn't blinded by this. Instead, it all merged together. Everyone went from being older to younger, then back again. Yang flickered between having one arm and two, and Nora went from burnt face to completely fine and dandy.

They made it to the bridge, which was going from town style wood to the stone one he actually stood on. Or was it the wood one that he actually stood on. It didn't matter much as the Nevermore flew into it, splitting their group in half. He ignored the scenery. Burning town or temple ruins, it didn't matter. He was never going to fail his team.

On the other side of the bridge, Ren and Blake fought the Death Stalker. He looked to Nora.

"Get us over there, Nora." She nodded, either extremely happy or extremely serious, he couldn't tell which was real anymore. Nora launched them over and Blake was sent back to their side. Ruby was better with Blake anyway, they had been a team for years. Or… not at all? Whatever.

He dodged a strike from the Death Stalker and the bridge shook. He got back in the zone.

"Ren, weaken the the stinger!" Ren nodded, jumping onto the the tail as he fought the Grimm head on. The stinger was loose and Ren was thrown to the side. A quick glance and Jaune knew he was okay. He had taken bigger hits than that before. Taking advantage of the opportunity Ren gave, he aimed his shield and fired a bolt at the attached segment. But nothing happened. He looked to his shield and found that there was no crossbow on it.

All of a sudden, he was back at Beacon, and he was thrown back by a Death Stalker claw. Stopping himself from falling into the ravine, the burning village was back, and he took his sword and launched it like a lance, through the air, and directly into the stinger. It disconnect from the tail and lodged itself into the Grimm's head.

"Now, Nora!" He lifted his shield up and gave her a platform. She took it and he helped launch her into the air. He watched as she went up up up, then came plummeting back down right on course for the Death Stalker. She made the hit, and the bridge he was on launched him over the beast, landing gracefully and safely with his team. "Good job guys. Just like we practiced."

"What… Are you talking about?" Ren asked panting, then he collapsed, and he was back at Beacon once more, a Nevermore still flying overhead. Team RWBY had this one. He gasped and fell to the ground, his body unprepared for the work he had given it. His sheer will was the only thing that had gotten him through that fight, because it sure wasn't his body. His arms and legs were numb with pain and he channelled as much aura through them as he could. He hadn't gotten that worn out from a fight in years! He had completely forgotten how unprepared he was, the first time he came to Beacon.

"Are you okay Jaune?" He jumped, startled by Pyrrha's voice. "Sorry! Are you okay?"

"Yeah, yeah. I just forgot that you were here, is all." And he had. Going back into his headspace of the burning town, he hadn't even seen Pyrrha, much less give orders to her. That was what happened when someone on your team died. You changed up your tactics, trying to make up for the loss. He had done it far too often, and not just to Pyrrha. When he wasn't with team RWBY, his fourth teammate seemed to always be changing. They used to call it 'Pyrrha's Curse,' but Jaune knew she wasn't spiteful enough to do that, no matter how unfair her death was.

He looked up just in time to see the Grimm beheaded. Getting back up off the ground, he sighed. The second day was over, and all he wanted now was rest.

* * *

Oh yeah. The team ceremony. He had forgotten that part. It wasn't that big of a problem though, as all he had to do was walk up and then back down. Ozpin called up their names and named him leader, the same as last time.

He let out a breath he didn't know he was holding in. Now it was official, the first day was as it should be.

Pyrrha hit him on the shoulder and he gave her a smile. Seeing the happy faces of his teammates, united once again for the first time ever, he was filled with hope. Maybe he wouldn't have nightmares tonight.

In hindsight, that was asking for a bit much.

* * *

 **Jaune's first combat! Again… He'll have to adapt to the new team member, but I have faith in him. Things are looking up! Too bad they won't stay that way.**

 **This chapter was double the length of my normal ones, and that's for a reason. You guys and your amazing and kind reviews. And you're probably saying, 'What are you talking about? You don't even have a hundred followers. You're not hot shit.' But that's not what I do this for. I write because I want to entertain people, or make people think, or even (unlikely, but possible) inspire people. And your reviews tell me that I'm doing just that, and I thank you for it.**

 **Fanfiction is a side project for me, and because of that, I'm not always in the mood for writing. But actually getting that feedback and seeing that I'm making something people like, that's what makes me write. They are my fuel. And for this being only my** **second** **fanfiction, your support is more than I ever dreamed of getting.**

 **Once again, I thank you.**

 **But enough of the sappy stuff. As for the aura thing, I definitely have plans for that, which you will find out in due time. And for how Pyrrha sees Jaune… I'll let you guess for now. I think that's all.**

 **Helpful criticism welcome, your amazing review appreciated, and until next time,**

 **-AGR**


	7. Getting Into Routine Part One

He woke at the crack of dawn, as he had been conditioned to for years. The fact that he overslept the previous day was most likely a testament to how mentally drained he was from his realization. Truthfully, he was thankful that he woke up early. He wouldn't want the others to see him struggling in his sleep from his nightmares. And yes, he had nightmares. Last night's was nothing special, just a generic 'all of your friends are dead and it's your fault' one. The fact that those types of dreams were normal for him was a bit unnerving.

Regardless of his night terrors, he had to find a way to kill time. He couldn't stay in the dorm and do nothing, because that would only bring bad memories, and he couldn't go back to sleep, because of the same result. He needed a spot where he didn't have to think or reminisce, to be at peace. The first time around, that spot was on the roof, where he trained with Pyrrha, but that was the problem. Now it had memories attached to it. No, he needed somewhere new.

Then he remembered the cliffs from initiation. It was a bit of a jog, but his body could definitely use the work out. He glanced at the clock. Six fourteen. Class started at nine. Eh, why not? Stepping into the bathroom, he got ready for the day. Then he threw on his combat gear, the only thing you should ever jog in, and grabbed a water bottle and his scroll. Taking one last look his sleeping teammates, he took off, setting a normal pace for himself.

* * *

His 'normal pace' was not was it was… Or will be… Whatever. Needless to say, he was in worse shape than he thought. He had only just made it to the courtyard when he had to sit down before he collapsed in pain. He'd have to starting doing this often. Technically, he should put off his training until Pyrrha started helping him, but he didn't think he'd be able to stay sane in his current build. Fate would probably end up punishing him for it, but he would gladly take it if it meant not having to deal with the sorry state he was in on a daily basis.

Getting up from his seat on the bench, he continued on his way. This time setting a much, much, more restrained pace.

* * *

He knew the views at Beacon were great, but seeing the sunrise from the cliffs? That was something else. It was almost picturesque in beauty, and any lover of the arts could sit there and watch it for hours.

He was not a lover of the arts. And after taking a good long five seconds to admire the scene, he was bored of it. He came out here to think with an clear head. But trying to calm yourself and have a peaceful brainstorm session after an intense jog was not exactly the easiest thing to do. He needed something to curb his adrenaline, he needed something active.

What was there to do? Or, the better question could be, what did he need to do? Not exercise, that was why he jogged here and he had to maintain some energy for the day. He could practice combat stances, but he didn't have his sword with him and they were already drilled into his mind anyhow. What skills did he need? A better memory? Yeah, but there wasn't much he could do about that. Acting? Yeah, but… Umm… No, that's… He couldn't, right?

"H- Hey there guys! Umm… How are you?" He couldn't believe what he was doing. Searching up 'solo acting tips for beginners' on his scroll, he was trying to utilize the first two tips. 'Always imagine you are being watched,' and 'Know who you are talking to.' In his case, the two tips combined because his audience was his friends, and so were the people he was talking to. "Ruby, you look lovely today. I mean… Yang, please don't hurt me!"

He looked at the next tip. 'Know what emotion you are portraying.' The old him was awkward, and he was certainly feeling awkward right now. So… It was working? He pressed on, trying to think of important conversations that he had with all his friends.

"Umm… What? Cardin? No, he's not bullying me! I'm fine! We're just… Messing around! Me and him are buddies." He paused. "No, that's not right. Me and him, were buddies! Just playing around! Yeah, that sounds better. Umm… Name one time he's bull- No. Name one time he's- No. Name one time he's\- No no no!" This was stupid. Why was he even doing this? He'd just move on to the next tip.

'Practice makes perfect.'

Well shit.

He looked at his scroll. Six forty-eight. He weighed his options.

"Name one time he's bullied\- No."

* * *

He didn't do much in terms of progress, but somehow, he knew it was helping. Talking to yourself on a cliff edge wasn't fun, but…

Do you believe in destiny?

"Yes I believe in destiny."

...He had his reasons.

The sun was fairly high in the sky when he stopped for the morning. He checked the time. Eight forty two. Shit. It would take him over twenty minutes to get back to Beacon, and even at that speed he wouldn't have time to throw on his uniform! Things were gonna change! Fuck! He started to panic, but stopped himself by looking from the cliffs to the valley below. He took a breath. If he remembered correctly, and he thought he did, he was almost late the first time around, so him actually being late shouldn't change too much. At least, that was the thought he clung to as he raced through the forest back to school.

* * *

"I do sir!" Weiss volunteered right as he barged into the classroom, panting. Professor Port, and the rest of the class, looked at him.

"Sorry- Huff- Sir. I was- Huff- Looking at the sights and- Huff- lost track of time…" He hated that he was panting after such a mediocre jog, but it did help to extenuate to his classmates the idea that he was an awkward, out of shape, teenager. Which was correct, in a way. Professor Port raised a bushy eyebrow.

"Late on the first day, huh? No matter. I won't be taking disciplinary action this time, but do be sure not to make a habit out of this."

"Yes sir." He went to take a seat, but Port stopped him.

"No detention, but since you are in your combat gear, I'll ask you to get your weapon and give a demonstration for the class." He froze in place, that wasn't supposed to happen.

"But Professor!" Weiss cried indignantly. Port raised a hand, silencing her.

"I'm sorry Ms. Schnee, but I can't let any crime go unpunished, no matter the circumstances. It would be dishonorable for me as a teacher and a warrior if I was to condone such behavior. Now, would you like to get your weapon Mr…"

"Arc. Jaune Arc." He introduced himself, shaking out of the paralyzing fear he gained for going against the will of fate. To maintain the facade that he was no good at combat, he'd have to let the Boarbatusk mess him up a bit before killing it. Perhaps that was Fate's way of punishing him for his excursion. But it wasn't anything he couldn't handle, so did that mean Fate would allow him to continue anyway? Yeah. If something really bad had happened to him, he'd know Fate was mad, but this was almost like a warning. As if Fate was saying 'I'll let you continue, but don't mess up again.' Well, that was good. Now he could-

"Ahem! Mr. Arc, if you would snap out of your daydreams and collect your weapon." Port knocked him out of his thoughts.

"Oh! Sorry. Right away sir." He ran into the locker room, blushing slightly at the chuckles from the other students.

* * *

He walked out of the locker room, sword and shield in hand. In his mind, he had his plan laid out. He would let it kick him around for a bit, maybe he'd drop his weapon, then he'd get a 'lucky shot,' ending the fight.

That's what he wanted to do.

But his survival instincts were nothing to mess with. And the moment the Boarbatusk came screeching out of the cage, he was back in the burning town. Completely battle ready.

Before he could stop himself, he treated the Grimm as he did all small Boarbatusks that he encountered on the field. RIght before the beast collided with him, he sidestepped it, then smashed into it with his shield, causing it to fall on its back. Without hesitation, he drove Crocea Mors down, killing the Grimm instantly. He stood tall, looking out for the next enemy to attack. Boarbatusks were never usually alone.

Once it became dust, he was back at Beacon, everyone staring at him. Even Professor Port's eyes were wide, taking a moment to collect himself before addressing Jaune.

"That was… Excellent young man. How did you do that?"

"Uh… Beginners luck…? Heh heh…" Maybe the students didn't notice. Maybe they weren't impressed.

"Wooh Jaune!" Ruby yelled with joy, starting the applause.

"Huff… Damn it Ruby."

Who was he kidding? He couldn't be mad, only anxious of what was to come next.

* * *

 **Jaune's trying to stick to the script, but it's harder than it looks. Survival instincts molded over years of experience is nothing to scoff at. Jaune is, for all intents and purposes, a war vet. And nothing's gonna change that. Some things you just never forget.**

 **Something about Jaune trying to act while alone on a cliff side is funny to me. I don't know why. It** **is** **something that he has to work on, might as well start now. Though, if acting is like lying, how will Jaune handle constantly lying to his friends? Yet to be seen, I suppose.**

 **NorXelor called me out on the semblance, and he is totally right. I made a mistake, and I'm not afraid to admit that. But this is another reason why I love reviews. Because he told we what was wrong, I started to think about it, and I came up with this.**

 **Before Pyrrha unlocks Jaune's aura, she asks if he's ever felt like someone was watching him, he says yes, and she says that that is his aura. Except he hasn't had his aura unlocked yet, which implies that even someone without their aura unlocked, can use it to some extent. So, what if that applies to semblances too?**

 **Take Ruby, for instance. From what we've seen of her, we know that she is hyperactive. And her semblance compliments that. We know semblances come from personality traits, but could it be the other way around? Perhaps, instead of a semblance forming from how a person acts, people have semblances that make them act a certain way. People change over time, especially in their teenage years, yet we've never heard anything about semblances changing in RWBY. So maybe, during someone's whole life, their semblance is influencing them to behave a certain way that aligns with their semblance, so that they can use it to the fullest potential. If we apply that to Ruby, that means that she was hyperactive, is hyperactive, and always will be hyperactive. And her semblance is the thing causing that.**

 **Moving back to Jaune, he is nothing without his friends. We all know how much he relies on them and he wouldn't be the person he is in volume four if he had never went to Beacon. He feeds off of his friends, and that's because of his semblance. He'll always need his friends, because without them, he can't drain aura, he can't use his semblance without people around.**

 **That's my headcanon anyway. And yes, I made it up to correct a mistake. Whatever. Judge me all you'd like, I'm sticking with this. It'll actually come into play at some point, so just watch out for that. No spoilers, but it fits well with my plans about Jaune's aura. I'll say nothing more.**

 **Helpful criticism (such as the one NorXelor provided) welcome, your amazing reviews appreciated, and until next time,**

 **-AGR**

 **(One last thing. I pretty much made this whole update to address NorXelor's review, so if that doesn't show you how much reviews literally fuel me, nothing will)**

* * *

 **Something went wrong and the notification wasn't sent out, so this will be a re-upload. I'm sorry if this causes any notification spam.**


	8. Getting Into Routine Part Two

He honestly couldn't tell if this was a result of his mess up or a punishment because of it. Probably both. Everyone knew that Professor Goodwitch's 'Random Battle Generator' was completely rigged, made obvious by the fact that he would fight almost exclusively fight Cardin the last time around. He had no disillusions to the fact that she did not care for him whatsoever, but this was a bit cruel. She must have heard that he was late to class and reacted accordingly.

Jaune Arc vs Pyrrha Nikos. Lucky him. Now, he could take a beating from Pyrrha without a sweat, the majority of his time at Beacon was just that, but Goodwitch didn't know that, making him wonder why exactly she disliked him from the outset.

The two of them stood opposite each other on the battleground, both in ready stances. He purposefully made himself stand incorrectly, with his two feet almost together, as to try and emphasize the fact that he wasn't an experienced fighter, but judging from the glint in Pyrrha's eyes, she wasn't going easy on him. He figured he should say something, to really make it look like he wasn't prepared.

"I'm not going easy on you, partner!" He shouted to her. He had meant for it to sound awkward, like he was trying to give himself a false confidence, but it ended up just sounding like he had actual confidence. His partner smiled in what could only be described as a competitive way, and he knew he was screwed.

"Begin whenever you are ready." Goodwitch instructed. And as most one v one battles started, they began to circle each other. This time, he'd do it. This time, he'd lose. Offhandedly, he remembered being in the exact same position thinking the exact opposite thought. That was pretty funny, though obviously not a joke he could share with- And she was about to hit him.

Seeing that her opponent didn't have his head in the game, Pyrrha closed the distance between them and went for a simple downwards strike with her blade. At the very last moment, her partner seemed to do an impossible movement, dodging the strike and kneeling to be right at her body.

The burning town was back, and this time, there was more. His opponent had shifted her form, braided red hair turning green and skin during dark. It had been an illusion! Emerald had tried to take him out by pretending to be Pyrrha, but he was too quick for her. Crouched next to her, she was completely exposed to his crossbow, which he aimed and fired. Except it did nothing. Because he was back in Beacon, flying across the field from a strong roundhouse kick that brought a good chunk of his aura down.

Recovering from being slightly dazed, he reminded himself to stay in the present and to not lose focus, as him aiming his shield probably looked a bit strange to everyone watching. He instantly forgot this advice when Pyrrha charged at him once more, bringing Emerald and town with her.

This time, he decided to go with the classics, sword and shield. He had never seen Emerald with a sword and shield all the other times they sparred, so she he doubted that she was that proficient with it. They clashed and he couldn't tell whether it was the power behind Emerald's blow or the sudden weakness behind his that pushed him back a foot or so. He couldn't remember Emerald ever being this strong before, much less stronger than him. It must have been yet another modification of their aura courtesy of Salem, like the one that prevented him from draining all of their aura at once. Whatever it was, he was sustaining a decent amount of damage. Getting himself back in the game, he focused back on his attacker.

He managed to dodge and block all of the more deadly swipes, but had to let the lesser ones hit him in order to keep up. He wasn't doing too badly, but compared to what he was capable of, he was getting his ass kicked. All the while, he could feel himself starting to tire, which made no sense. They had only been fighting for a few minutes, compared to some of the more brutal Grimm hoards, where he fought for hours on end, this should be a piece of cake. Was this some kind of aura draining, like his semblance? If so, he'd have to end this quick.

During a lull in the fight, he reached out with his semblance and grabbed the tiniest amount of aura from Emerald, knowing that trying to gain anymore would be useless. It didn't help him much, but he felt… Something else along with it. Not caring right at that moment what it was, he looked back to Emerald, who had a new fire in her eye. He knew immediately that she had felt his action. They reengaged, but now he faced yet another problem. Not just his sudden lack of strength and stamina, not just her sudden gain of strength and stamina, but now even his sword seemed to be off. When he attacked, he knew he wasn't missing, yet he missed anyway, further adding to his disadvantage. His defeat seemed at hand, but he wouldn't go down without a fight.

If he was gonna die, it would be Salem herself to do it. Not some superpowered henchwoman. And sure as hell not Emerald. If she could control his weapons, then fine. He didn't need them. So he dropped them. Emerald was taken aback by his move, leaving him the perfect opening to sock her in the face. The unexpected strike was effect, and Emerald was knocked to the ground, red hair sprawled around her.

And he was back in Beacon, the crowd completely silent. They all watched with held breaths as Pyrrha got back to her feet. There was some blood under her nose, meaning he had probably broke it before she healed herself with aura.

"Good one." She said sincerely. "I suppose I won't go easy on you either." With that, she charged one finally time. Without his weapons, all he could do was dodge until she got the upperhand, which came pretty quick. She ended the battle with a sparta kick, causing him to fly out of the battlefield, disqualifying him while simultaneously causing his aura to go into the red. The crowd was silent once more, before everyone started to chant her name and cheer.

Jaune coughed, unable to keep the smile off of his face. He got lost in his delusions, but everything worked itself out. Not to mention, he punched Pyrrha in the face! For all he knew, he was the first one to ever do that, which made him a little proud, even though he knew he shouldn't be. For the first time since he arrived back in time, he allowed himself to be happy, if only for a moment. A moment made even better by Ruby coming over to help him up. She swung his arm around her shoulder, allowing him to lean on her for support as she helped him to the nurse.

They walked in silence, simply enjoying each others company. Once they had made it far from the arena, Ruby spoke.

"You did really good Jaune." He winced as his pounding headache made any noise transform into a sharp pain. Sensing his discomfort, Ruby spoke at a lower volume. "You were pretty awesome back there." He chuckled.

"I lost."

"Yeah, but you went toe to toe with Pyrrha Nikos, something not many people can claim." He shook his head.

"Didn't you hear her? She was going easy on me. I'm not skilled, I'm just lucky." Ruby seemed to think about this before shrugging.

"Well, I think you did wonderful." He smiled wide.

"You're such a good friend Ruby. I know we've only known each other for two days, but outside of my family, you've been a nicer person to me than anyone I've ever met." He knew he should stop, but his exhaustion was turning into delirium, which in turn was turning into a lack of inhibitions. He squeezed her a little bit tighter and put his head on her shoulder and cuddled into her neck. "Let's be the best of friends forever, okay? Till the day we die, let's be best friends." Ruby could feel him pass out by the fact that she had extra weight to carry, but was glad he did so. That way, he couldn't see her blush.

"Sure Jaune." She whispered. "Till the day we die."

He had no bad dreams that night.

* * *

 **Well would you look at that, it's not all bad for poor old Jaune. He'll get his moments, though sparse they will be. I was wondering whether or not the final scene is realistic or not, but I think it is. Two things we definitely know about Ruby early on, she's socially awkward and is looking to prove herself. If a delirious Jaune said these things to her two days after they met, I don't think she'd fall in love or find it weird, but instead be happy that she actually has a friend, with only the first hints of a crush. Now, if he confessed his undying love for her, that would freak her out. All Jaune said was that he was glad they were friends, which is innocent enough to get a pass.**

 **In response to reviews,**

 **First off, NoxXelor, sorry for getting your name wrong and please keep your reviews coming. I know you aren't shitting on it, and I'm thankful for you bringing problems to my attention. Anyway.**

 **Jaune is hanging in by a literal thread and his motto is the thing keeping him together. Times like these make the burden less so, which is why you didn't hear him say it, but in more depressing scenes, he'll be saying it a** **lot** **. It's like someone with anger issues counting to ten, but instead of anger, it's the idea that everything you've ever done and suffered through is meaningless.**

 **Also, It's not that Jaune is out of shape, it's that he's so much weaker than he was. He's able to jog without getting winded, but he isn't able to go nearly as fast or hard as he was at thirtyfive, when he was in peak condition from years of survival. The reason he gets so winded fighting the grimm is because he was operating at full capacity. In the show, Jaune takes the role of leader, but doesn't do much in terms of fighting. Here, we have Jaune fighting** **while** **commanding, something that he has gotten use to over his years of experience, but his old body isn't. We can also see it even more so in this chapter. Jaune doesn't realize his own limitations and that hurts him more than actually being 'weak.'**

 **Also, absorbing aura's well and good, but that can't stop sudden blow to the heart. Not to mention, we don't exactly know that much about what Salem's plan is. We get hints, but nothing is confirmed. And from some hints dropped in this chapter, we see that his semblance might not be as all powerful as it seems to be. (But to your credit, I total didn't think about that when I made his semblance because I'm an idiot)**

 **Finally, as for the pairing. I don't want to tease you guys, but you'll have to wait and see. As an offer of peace, I had a nice Lancaster scene right at the end.**

 **And in other news, I'M FUCKING BACK BABY. Vacation was fun and all, but it gets you out of your rhythm. Not to mention binge watching Game of Thrones.**

 **I HAVE A TWITTER. You might have noticed that I changed my name, well, I did to reflect my twitter handle. If you like my writing, you might like my main project that I always use as an excuse for why my fanfictions suck. I posted a sample chapter that isn't at all in my book because editing, but I'll still take feedback on it. RMVthewriter, just like my username. I might also post updates about my FanFictions there.**

 **I debating whether or not I should join the two, but then I remembered that I have no shame and if me writing fanfiction turns off publishers, well fuck 'em anyway. Fanfiction is awesome and not something to shame.**

 **Helpful criticism welcome, your amazing reviews appreciated, and until next time,**

 **-RMV**

 **(Just realized I'll have to go back ad change all the 'AGRs' to 'RMVs.' Fuck my life.)**


	9. Bully Troubles Part One

Her worries began with a volunteer. After Jaune had suffered quite a few head wounds from Cardin, Blake offered to take him to the nurse since Ruby was fighting right after him. She had already read her book twice over, so Blake figured she could use a distraction. She knew he would be delirious, but she couldn't have guessed that he'd accidentally reveal his secrets to her.

Like many life changing things in the world, it all started with a question.

"Do you think it's wrong to ignore the past?" Blake raised an eyebrow to the man on her shoulder. It had come from out of nowhere. They had simply been walking down the perfectly clean halls of the school when he said it. His tone almost had a curious hint to it, like he was asking a perfectly innocent question, and that's what she thought it was at first.

"I'm not sure I know what you're referring to." Jaune stopped their walk and straightened himself out as best he could. Looking her in the eyes, he asked again.

"Do you… Think it's wrong… To ignore… The past?" He asked her slowly and more segmented this time, as if he was talking to a baby. "I don't think it's that hard to understand." Had anyone else shown her this kind of sass, she would have shown them their place. But she had spent the previous five minutes watching Jaune get utterly destroyed by Cardin, convincing her that he knew exactly where his place was. Instead, she let out a small chuckle with the barest hint of a smile. It was almost amusing, in a delirious sort of way.

"I think that sometimes… People have to put their past aside if they ever want to continue on living their lives." Blake thought to her time with the White Fang. 'Ignore' wasn't the right word, but 'Forget' was certainly closer. Jaune's eyebrows furrowed, clearly unhappy with her answer.

"But what if we've done things wrong? Shouldn't we try to fix them instead of leaving it be?" Before she could answer, he appeared to think of another question. "Should we have to deal with the consequences of our actions?" These seemingly random questions made her smile in a more confused manor.

"Why are you asking me all this?" It was a stupid question to begin with, since she thought the answer was obvious. She was the only one with him, therefore, the only one to ask these questions he came up with on the spot. Unfortunately, her question was exactly what she needed to ask. He stared at her a bit before his legs gave out and he once again had to lean on her shoulder.

"I just figured you would know…" It was almost a whisper, as if he was purposefully trying to make her process what he said. Then it hit her like a punch from Adam.

He knew.

It shouldn't be true. It couldn't be true! Yet the more Blake looked for the evidence, the more clear it became. Whenever she tried to talk to him, he seemed reluctant at first, but then acted like he was happy to hang out with her. And that's what it all was, acting.

Whenever she was around, he would act awkward, yet also said what needed to be said, as if he was trying to seem lovable and innocent. Before their talk, she hadn't noticed, genuinely thinking he was just an awkward idiot, but when she looked closer, the holes in his act came through.

Talking with Ruby confirmed that he wasn't always like this, meaning that it was Blake he was trying to fool, not anyone else. But this still all meant nothing. What was he trying to accomplish if he did know? On top of figuring out how he knew, that was the biggest question she wrestled with as she watched him from afar. What did he want? And why was it her that he wanted anything from?

A question she found herself pondering day in and day out, the answer illuding her. For now.

* * *

She had never met a person more intolerable than Ruby, though Yang was a close second. As if a fifteen year old girl knew better than Weiss Schnee in the matters of a huntress. Coming to Beacon, Weiss had hopes of being the best team there was, breaking any and all records set, winning every battle, and simply being the best. That hope died the minute Ruby became leader.

"It was Professor Ozpin's choice to make me leader, not mine!" Ruby shouted in their dorm. Once again, she had tried to make Weiss do something, and once again, they were fighting. As per usual, Yang and Blake sat on the sidelines, knowing that if they got involved it would only get worse.

"Well Ozpin made a mistake when he made you leader!"For as respected as he was, Ozpin made a mistake that he simply wouldn't admit. She had tried multiple times to convince him to make her leader, but after the fifth time, she gave up. It seemed she was destined to have a bad time at Beacon. That didn't mean that she couldn't still be the perfect student, but even that dream was becoming harder to achieve by the day.

"You-" Weiss could instantly tell she had messed up. Ruby had stiffened and tears began to form in her eyes. Telling Ruby to stop bossing her around was one thing, but telling her that she didn't deserve to be the leader was a whole other. Yang stood up to intercept, but was too late, only managing to grasp the petals Ruby left behind. Yang looked to Weiss and her eyes went red.

She grabbed the heiress by the shoulders and slammed her into the wall. It took all of Weiss' willpower not to flinch.

"Do you even understand what you just did?" Yang growled. "In case you forgot, Ruby's my sister, and it's my job to protect her. Now physical harm, that's bound to happen. She's at a combat school! But emotional harm? Someone like Ruby doesn't deserve to be treated like that by anyone. If you were anyone else but my teammate, I would end you here and now, but instead I'll give you your one and only warning. If you make her cry ever again, I will make you wish you were never. Born." With that, Yang let go and went to find Ruby, leaving Weiss and Blake to the dorm.

Once Yang had left, Weiss fell to her knees. She would never admit it, but she shed a few tears, too overwhelmed with emotion to care the Blake was there.

Beacon was horrible. She didn't tell Winter that, however, as being free at Beacon was better than having her every move planned out by her father. So instead, she silently dealt with it all, alone. Blake wasn't bad, but it was clear that she didn't want anything to do with the Schnee Dust Corporation. JNPR was their 'co-team' in a sense, but they were Ruby and Yang's friends, not her's. The only person actually willing to give her the time of day was, as sad as it was, Jaune.

It was a sad day in the world when a Schnee's only friend was a weakling like Jaune Arc. His constant sad attempt to woo her were annoying and he was an idiot to think she would ever like him back, yet she was somewhat… Thankful for him. While she wouldn't confess it under the worst torture possible, having just a single person giving her the respect she deserved kept her sane. Whenever he tried to confess his love, his eyes changed the same way Winter's did when she spoke of her work. It was that of conviction. And though Weiss knew not why she had earned or warranted this devotion, she secretly basked in it nonetheless.

If he was only stronger, she might try to befriend him, though that was simply not the case. Occasionally, however, she wondered what her time at Beacon would be like if she had become his partner instead of Ruby's.

* * *

The thing about school was that it was monotonous and repetitive for the most part. And the thing about monotonous and repetitive things is that they are forgettable, a problem Jaune would seem to face for the majority of his time in Beacon. So he played it by ear, trying to adapt and remember his old ways and what he would of done. He got most of the questions he was asked in class wrong, but he wasn't a complete idiot, so he decided to give himself one in every five. He remembered that he ended the first semester with an eighty average, so he purposefully scored eighty on every test he took. With this continued reliance on his old ways, he continued his journeys to the cliffs in the mornings, allowing him to hone his awkwardness slowly but surely.

Combat class was a different story, but surprisingly, a good one. Since he had only managed to last five minutes in the ring with Pyrrha while she was going easy on him, Professor Goodwitch decided to take pity and pair him up with Cardin. Something he was ecstatic about for all the wrong reasons. Fighting with Cardin helped to keep him in the present, as even if he was to go into the past, he would just be fighting Cardin again, and he could reign himself in. With Cardin came his old annoying ways, and Jaune actually felt as if he was on the right track. Every time Cardin bullied him or pushed him around, he'd gain an internal smile, knowing that he was doing something correct.

The one person he couldn't keep his facade up with was Ruby. And this was for, well, obvious reasons.

"Weiss just won't work with me! I don't understand why she just won't let me help her!" Ruby sniffled, having just turned her sadness into anger and now back to sadness. "Do you think… Do you think Professor Ozpin made a mistake in naming me leader?" She looked to him for answers, a revelation that shocked him.

"What?! Why would you even think that?"

"It was something Weiss said the last time we had a fight…" He looked at Ruby, her demeanor lacking any confidence whatsoever. He wanted so desperately to tell her the words she needed to hear, but at the same time, he had to rationalize with himself. Old Jaune would not have known what to tell her. Frankly, she would have never even come to old Jaune with this problem in the first place. He understood her predicament, it was something he asked himself constantly during his schooling days and even more so afterwards. Whenever a person died because he messed up, the question reappeared. Ruby didn't take his silence well. She looked away. "You agree with her, don't you?"

"No no no!" He was quick to stop her thinking. "I was just trying to think of the best way to word my answer." Once more, he looked at her.

This time, he saw her future self, distraught after a lost battle, juggling with the same question he had. And the thing was, she had given him the answer. He made his choice, the same choice he made when he married her. To be there for her in her time of need, to give her the words she needed to hear when she needed to hear them. He approached and put his hands on her shoulders, making her look to him.

"Being a team leader isn't just a title you carry into battle, but a badge you wear constantly. If you are not always performing at your absolute best, then what reason do you give others to follow you? It is a daunting responsibility that only the select few can handle, but you are most certainly one of them. Do you think that Ozpin, in all the years he's lived, would put you in that place for a reason? He made you leader because he saw in you what I see in you, strength. Not just strength on the battlefield, but strength of the mind. If I know anything about you Ruby, it's that you do what you think to be right, no matter the circumstances. Having conviction in the face of doubt is what makes you the perfect leader, no question. Sure, you won't always make the right call and you won't always succeed, but you'll try, and that's all you could ever hope to do." She still didn't look at him.

"Well Weiss said-"

"If Weiss doesn't see that you are a leader worth following, then she'll have to work that out on her own. What you have to do, is continue to do what you always do no matter what she says. If you lose confidence in yourself, then there's no way she'll respect you. You're a good leader, regardless of whether or not Weiss works with you, you'll continue to be a good leader as long as you stay true to yourself." She finally looked at him, silver eyes sparkling with tears.

"Do you mean it?" He gave her a soft smile.

"Absolutely." They smiled at each other until she took him in for a surprise hug. In his chest, she mutter to him.

"How do you always know exactly what to say to me?" He chuckled slightly.

"Maybe I have foresight." They shared a laugh at that, and Jaune knew he was going to be punished by Fate for this. But it was worth it, because it was for Ruby. And for her, he would, and will, die.

* * *

When Yang was finally able to track down Ruby, she found her already cheered up, hugging Jaune. And that was a problem.

Yang didn't necessarily hate Jaune, but he put her on edge. She was glad Ruby had a friend and was proud to see her socialize, but Jaune seemed weird. He clearly cared about Ruby, that was obvious, but it was just too much too fast. For the short amount of time they had known each other at Beacon, Ruby was closer to him than even some of her former friends at Sanctum. They didn't do anything bad, but Yang had to question his motives. Especially with him and Weiss.

Every now and then, Yang catch him trying to court Weiss in secret. She thought he might be a womanizer, even for how unlikely that was, but when she followed him after the fact, he always ended up in the same place. The training room, where he would set the training bots on the lowest setting possible and destroy them, the whole time muttering about destiny. That was... Disturbing to say the least.

Whatever his motives or possible malfunctions, Yang watched him the entire time he comforted her sister. Because if he hurt a single hair on Ruby's head...

She would end him.

* * *

When he saw Velvet getting bullied, he knew today was the day. The starting point of his servitude to Cardin, as well as the day his acting skills were tested. So he sat as he should, poking at his food while Nora told the table her dream.

"Huff… She's been having this recurring dream for about a month now."

"Jaune, are you okay?" Ruby was the first one to talk, a slight change, but not too major.

"What? Yeah, I'm fine. Why?" He thought the next concerned statement would flip flop to Pyrrha, but instead Ruby continued.

"It's just that you seem a little… Not fine." The whole table was looking at him now. It was time to put on a show.

"Guys, I'm perfectly fine. Seriously. Look!" He gave them a forced smile and awkward thumbs up. Then he looked to Cardin who was continuing to bully Velvet.

"Cardin's been bullying you since the first week of school. Why don't you do something about it?" Pyrrha finally spoke, but it wasn't as he remembered it. He found that when he tried to steer conversations back on track, they only ended up worse, so he rolled with it.

"Who, Cardin Winchester? Nah, he just likes to mess around. See, he's messing around with that faunus right now." They looked to Velvet, then back to him.

"That's bullying." Ruby stated plainly. He shrugged her off.

"No. It couldn't be. If it was, someone would be helping her." Like he wanted to, but instead he was stuck playing the role Fate had meant him to play. Did he believe in destiny? Yes he did.

When Pyrrha stood up, he knew he had done something wrong.

"You're right Jaune. Someone could do something." She emphasized the 'someone' while looking at him, making the sentence sound awkward. Then she walked over to Cardin, who had begun to mess with Velvet's ears, and socked him in the face, sending him flying.

The whole cafeteria stared at her, as she walked back to the table. She only was staring at him.

"Lunch will be over soon." She remarked simply, leaving the table in silence. He was sure the rest of the table had a bunch of questions on their minds, but he only had one.

Where did he fuck up?

* * *

 **Jaune just can't help but fall for Ruby's charm. Meanwhile, Pyrrha is acting rather strange, I wonder why…**

 **On to reviews. Jaune in the last chapter was having his aura chipped down slowly by Pyrrha, so it was taking a good beating. The final hit though, with no weapons to defend himself, didn't make his aura go from full to in the red, it just took that final chunk of aura away.**

 **Not much in terms of criticism on the last one, but that's fine. I do wonder how this chapter can be improved though, as well as any theorists taking a crack at what's up with Pyrrha.**

 **Helpful criticism welcome, your amazing reviews appreciated, and until next time,**

 **-RMV**

 **Edit: Oh yeah. I almost forgot that I changed my user name. I made a twitter where I show off some cut stuff from my main project that I always talk about, take a look and tell me what you think, if you want. I might start posting fanfiction stuff if people begin to follow it, but who knows right now. RMVthewriter**

 **(Still haven't changed the previous chapters to say RMV… Maybe one day I'll stop being lazy)**

 **Edit 2: I went back and took the time to combine the previous two chapters. The next one will be coming soon. It's a long one and I've been working nonstop on it.**


	10. Bully Troubles Part Two

**An extra long chapter because I love you all. Fuck me this was hard to write.**

* * *

Mercury flanked him as he held out his sword. He had dropped his shield a few skirmished prior. For a moment, they stood opposite each other, waiting to strike. Then Cinder made her appearance, her deadly elegance somewhat obscured by the large bag on her back.

"They're all dead, you know." He refused his bodies want to throw his sword like a javelin. It would be useless anyway. His eyes darted to his surroundings. The town was burning, the town he had made a promise to protect, as burning. Cinder caught his glances and smiled viciously. "Oh! You thought I meant the townspeople. Well, they're dead too. My Grimm slaughtered them all. I thought you would have realized that by now."

"I did." He grunted reluctantly. The screams of anguish had long since died off. It seemed for every Grimm he killed, two people died. He wasn't strong enough.

"However, I was talking about your friends. They are all dead." Jaune scoffed at her announcement.

"Do you think I'm an idiot? Why would I take your word for it?" Her smile grew even wider, and this time Mercury snickered.

"I never thought you would take my word for it. I thought you'd see the evidence. I made myself some souvenirs." She swung her bag to the front and looked inside. "How should we do this…? Oh, I got it. Let's go in order of death." From the bag she pulled out Weiss' rapier.

"No…" The sword had a gleaming coat of blood on it, especially around the handle. All of the dust cartridges had been used.

"The bitch didn't even see us coming. Before she even realized we were attacking, Mercury had already blown her hand off."

"You lie…" Cinder raised an eyebrow.

"Lies? How dare you. I have been nothing but truthful with you." There was a sadistic edge to her voice. "How about you monk friend? Wasn't his name Lie?" At this she threw out the next thing from her bag, Ren's guns, heavily charred. "This one, I took care of myself. I loved the sound of his screams as he roasted alive." Jaune stuck his sword in the ground, practically leaning on it.

"I don't… Believe you…"

"Still? Well, to be completely honest, we only scavenged three weapons. The rest were either destroyed or lost. But… I did manage to get the very, best, one." She reached in and dropped the bag. Jaune's heart shattered. Crescent Rose, right along side Ruby's red cloak.

"I will kill you all." He pulled his sword out of he ground, pointing it at Cinder. She shrugged.

"I was hoping you'd just lay down and let us kill you, but fine. It'll be fun to watch you burn." With that, they attacked.

Jaune met Mercury's kick with Crocea Mors and threw him to the side, dodging a few arrows Cinder had loosed. On instinct, he reached out and pulled all the aura he could from his two attackers. Whatever color their aura had been, it was black now. Salem's influence was clear as he became unable to take even a slight amount of aura after a few seconds. Those few seconds of draining did help regardless, as it always caused his opponents to faulted, letting him gain the upper hand. Turning to Mercury, who was closest to him, Jaune did his best to stab him in the stomach. Due to quick thinking, Mercury was able to avoid this gruesome death, instead receiving a decent cut on his side. Going for another stab in his rage, Jaune failed to account for the Fall Maiden, who shrugged off his aura attack like it was nothing and shot three more arrows that found their way into his arm.

"Fuck!" Jaune grunted, ripping out the arrows and allowing Mercury to regain his footing. They then engaged in a classic back and forth fight. Normally, Mercury wouldn't be able to stand up to Jaune in a one on one battle, even with Cinder's bow support, but in his fury, Jaune had traded subtly for sheer power, using copious amounts of his own aura to power up his strikes.

On top of that, Jaune was losing aura by simply releasing it. All of his reserves had been drained for the sole purpose of giving himself a presence on the battlefield. It didn't have any practical effect aside from making him glow brighter than any flame around him, as if to send a beacon to his lost friends in the heavens. And then came the inevitable.

It had been years since he had last ran out of aura. With his unique semblance, the event seemed all but impossible. But Jaune cared not about the impossible in his time of grief. As soon as he felt the last of it leave his body, he fell to his knees, stopping his attacks all together. Everything seemed so pointless now, as his anger burned away to sorrow. Cinder now stood in front of him, her mouth moving to say some kind of taunt, but he could hear nothing. She raised Crescent Rose, aligning it with his neck, and after a few more parting words, she swung downwards.

* * *

He woke up in a sweat, the sheets clinging to his skin. Far worse than any nightmare he had experienced, that was a memory. A memory of his worst day. Even when the smoke had settled and the flames died to to reveal his friends were still alive, all of the villagers were indeed dead. He had been unable to keep his word, he had failed man, woman, and child alike.

Looking at the clock, it read '2:47,' not nearly late enough in the morning to go out of Beacon. But he had to find something to do, less his mind get the better of him.

Silently getting up and putting on his clothes, he went out to find something to take up his time.

* * *

Something he finally needed to look into was his aura. He had been putting it off for too long, being more obsessed with making himself look weak than doing anything related to aura. Before he had gone back, he would constantly hone his aura using his semblance, growing it bigger and bigger. But old Jaune didn't know how to do that, so neither did he. That wasn't what he was doing on this early morning.

During the initiation, his aura had been awakened by Pyrrha. Except… He already had his aura before that. He could feel it, now almost acting as his second skin, a second aura. When he actually gave himself some time to focus on it, he could get an intimate handle on how his new aura acting on his body. Instead of lying right below the skin, as his old aura did, he could feel the new aura hovering directly above. As he moved his fingers and limbs, the outer layer lagged behind, creating a small window where no aura touched his appendages. This peculiar effect caused a sort of… 'After image.'

His semblance had allowed him to sense people and see their aura, even if he wasn't doing anything to them. This was why Emerald couldn't use any illusions on him, as he would be able to see right through them. But now, as he reached out to the world around him, he could sense more. He could feel the walls and floor and ceiling, he could feel his armour and his weapons, he could feel the metal training dummy that opposed him.

Focusing on the dummy, he pulled, as if he was taking aura from it. It refused to budge, but Jaune kept going anyway. Still nothing happened, but he knew that there had to be some reason for his new senses. Finally, he felt something give, something small. When he opened his eyes, nothing. The training dummy had not shifted its position in the slightest. Seeing this, it made him wonder what he was even trying to accomplish in the first place. He sighed and walked away. He was far too tired to try and wrap his mind around whatever was happening. In his focus, two whole hours had passed, so it he thought it best if he just went out to the cliffs now.

* * *

"Which one of you young scholars can tell me what many consider to be the turning point in the third year of the war?" Dr. Oobleck asked the class. Weiss, sitting nearer to Jaune than her actual team, raised her hand. "Yes, Ms. Schnee?"

"I believe it's the battle at Fort Castle." Jaune snorted slightly, but continued his nap.

"Precisely! And, who can tell me what the Faunus forces had over General Lagoons forces?" Cardin flicked a paper football towards Jaune, but at the last second, Jaune adjusted himself and the paper missed his head. "Cardin! Since you're throwing papers in class, maybe you have the answer!"

"Well, I assume it's a lot easier to train animals than soldiers." He snickered. Blake and Pyrrha bristled at this, but before they could retort, Oobleck turned his attention to Jaune.

"That is not correct, Mr. Winchester, please stay after. Perhaps Mr. Arc would like to take a stab at it! If he ever wakes up, that is."

"Nightvision…" Jaune mumbled, still trying to make up for lost sleep.

"So you are paying attention. Alright Mr. Arc, continue your nap, but do stay after as well."

"Okay…" He muttered yet again.

"In other news, class. A training dummy was found with it's back completely destroyed earlier today. If anyone wishes to confess-" Jaune didn't hear the rest of the announcement, as he was already back asleep.

* * *

Pyrrha waited for her leader when class ended. She wondered what he was trying to accomplish here at Beacon. He let himself get completely trashed and pushed around by Cardin, he didn't focus in class, and he barely socialized with anyone. He seemed to be closest with Ruby, and that was all well and good, but Ruby wasn't his partner. She didn't know what Pyrrha knew.

When Jaune walked out of Oobleck's class, he was immediately pushed by Cardin and did nothing in response. He picked himself up off the ground pathetically, and that became the last straw. Without a word, she grabbed his hand and began to lead him somewhere. He didn't even ask any question, either too tired or indifferent to do so.

They arrived on the roof and stared out to the view in continued silence. Finally, Jaune spoke.

"I know I'm going through a tough time, but don't you think killing myself is a bit drastic?" He joked dryly. She pulled him away from the ledge to face her.

"I know your secret, Jaune." His eyes widened and his mouth dropped slightly.

"You- I-" She continued, ignoring his stuttering.

"You're so much stronger than you claim to be. So much stronger than Cardin, almost as strong as me!" Jaune's face went blank and he stared through her with cold eyes.

"And why do you say that?"

"When we fought, I wasn't going easy on you. I was trying my damned hardest to defeat you, and I even had to end up using my semblance, which you figured out in a few seconds! Only two other people I fought with managed to realize my semblance, and they were both some of the toughest fighters I've ever encountered. Not to mention, you made it into Beacon without Aura!"

"Why tell this to me now?"

"I just want to know why. Why do you hide your true strength? Why do you let Cardin and all the others bully you? What's the point in hiding?" Jaune said nothing, so she tried to explain herself further. "You were the first person I've ever met who treated me like a normal person. Even my family sees me as this… 'Super being' beyond all else. Yes, we haven't been the most open to each other, but I still consider you a good friend, and I don't like to see you get hurt. Why don't you show everyone what you can do?" She paused for a moment, then put two and two together. "Is it… Is it because you don't want to be like me? You don't want to be put on a pedestal you can never come down from? Because I can tell you for certain, being on that pedestal is better than hiding who you truly are." She took his hand in hers. "I think, just maybe, that destiny brought us together, as partners. I know who you truly are, and I want the world to see who you-"

"You have no idea who I truly am." He took his hand back. "You think I'm some legendary fighter, afraid to show his true self to the world. Well you're wrong." He turned away from her. "I am not strong, and I am not smart. Every action I've made, that's been me. For as stupid and awkward as it was, it was all me. And I hate myself for being that way! But it's all set in stone now. Too late to change. And you want to talk about destiny?!" He whipped back around, a fake smile on his lips, and an unreadable expression in his eyes. "Perhaps it was destiny that made me fail to pay attention in class, causing me to be an idiot. Perhaps it was destiny that made me lazy, causing me to be weak. Or maybe it was just me, failing to do anything correctly as always!" He was panting now. "But you know what was definitely destiny? Destiny was building up my dream, only to rip it apart in front of my dying eyes, destiny was making me live through my stupid decisions all over again, destiny was having my fake transcripts be accepted into Beacon!"

"I don't under-" Pyrrha tried to speak, but Jaune cut back in. She had opened a can of worms, and he was not finished yet.

"Yeah, you heard me! I faked my transcripts. Not so tough now, am I? You had to unlock my aura! What combat school would let a student go around without aura? None! And that's exactly the one I went to, none of them. Whatever you thought you felt when facing me, you were wrong. Now just let me be." He turned his back to her once again.

"Jaune…" She tried to reach out, but couldn't bring herself to touch him.

"Pyrrha… If you have any remaining respect for me as a leader, do as I say. Leave me be." She faltered, so he added to his statement. "Now."

"If that's what you think is best…" As Pyrrha walked away, she found herself struggling to grasp the fact that Jaune had lied to them all, that he had cheated his way into the school, that he was weak. She couldn't believe it, wouldn't believe it, but what else could she do? Before she went through the door, she looked back to him. He stood alone, barely able to hold himself up. Any anger that she had building was lost instantly, when she saw him. Finally, she could bare it anymore, and walked away, never knowing that had she stayed seconds longer, she would have seen Cardin climb up to meet his new best pal.

* * *

"Ugh! Why isn't he back? Where else is he supposed to sleep?" Nora complained as her and Ren waited for their leader to get home. She threw a pillow at him, which he dodged. "Tell me why!"

"I do not know, Nora."

"Why isn't he here yet? What if he's been kidnapped!?"

"I'm sure that's not the case, Nora." It was Nora who first pointed it out to Ren, but after she did, he couldn't not see it. Jaune was in survival mode. If you got up in the middle of the night, he would be up only a second later, fully ready for a fight. Everytime he went into a room, he paused a moment, presumably to scan for enemies and potentially exits, something Ren did as well. His eyes told them the most however. They had a haunted look to them on a near constant basis, as if he was always looking at a ghost. When he was fighting, his eyes would occasionally go starry, like he wasn't even in the arena anymore.

Ren had tried to stop her, but Nora made it her mission to see to it that Jaune was happy and comfortable with them, making him pancakes, preparing him a sloth themed cake, and other nonsensical things that only Nora could think of. Unfortunately, after Jaune began to avoid them, these crazy surprises all but stopped completely.

"Ren… Do you think Jaune's okay?" Nora had taken to hiding in different places around the school in the hopes that Jaune would walk by and they could play. This didn't work too well as, subconsciously or not, Jaune managed to completely avoid her at every turn. She claimed that she wanted to surprise him for being mean and ignoring her, but Ren could tell that she was actually worried about her leader. Because of his quick understanding as to her nature, Nora had latched onto him fast.

And in truth, Ren too worried about Jaune. He shuffled around aimlessly, like a zombie, until Cardin gave him something to do, and the haunted look in his eyes increased tenfold. Just seeing the sheer despair in those eyes gave Ren chills and he couldn't help but think back to his time on the road.

Back then, he was basically on the edge, at the end of his rope. But he had Nora, and everything became better eventually. As it stands, Jaune didn't seem to have anyone, which could only make the hell he was going through that much worse. And there was nothing they could do to help.

"We can only hope."

* * *

"Do you think I made him mad?" On Yang's count, that was the six hundred seventy first time she had been asked that question or shades of it. Every single time, her answer was the same.

"I don't think he's mad at you, Ruby." Yang repeated for the six hundred and seventy first time. If it wasn't for the fact that Ruby would only get even worse, Jaune would most definitely be in the ground right now. For about a week now, Jaune had been completely avoiding Team RWBY. Yang didn't care that much, she wasn't exactly attached to Jaune, but Ruby… Not so much. Her sister had apparently grown used to Jaune and his idiotic ways, and she did not like having that suddenly stop.

"But what if~" Make that, six hundred and seventy two. Yang had always known Ruby would be the death of her, but she never thought it would be, in part, because of Jaune had begun to avoid her team, Yang had no idea. But having to deal with Ruby like this, Yang wanted him back. If he was gonna have any part in Ruby's life, it might as well be a positive one.

That said, it would be a cold day in hell before she let them hook up. Yang prayed that this was only a phase for Ruby and she would eventually find someone else. Or maybe she could just turn out to be a lesbian. That would solve everything.

"I don't think he's mad at you, Ruby." Ugh. As soon as Ruby got over her crush, Jaune was a dead man.

* * *

"Umm… Hello Blake." Weiss greeted the secret faunus, who had been in the process of reading a book in the library. Jaune had become Cardin's manservant. Weiss didn't know how or why, but it happened. This, of course, meant that she was well and truly alone. And that was not a feeling she enjoyed. She needed a friend. Obviously, Yang and Ruby were off the table, but Blake was still an option… Hopefully. Having even one team member to work with was enough for her.

Blake made no move to greet Weiss back, not even taking her eyes off her book.

"Schnee." There was no sign of anger or contempt, but certainly no warmth either.

"You can just call me Weiss. Can I sit?" She gestured to the empty seat across from Blake, who had still yet to look up.

"I'm wasn't stopping you." The heiress flushed slightly and took a seat. Blake made no more comments, so Weiss waited… And waited… And waited. She began to tap the table and look around. The Beacon Library was impressive. And that meant something, coming from Weiss. The shelves practically towered over the students, not to mention how long the hall was, with a new shelf every five feet or so. Finally, Blake got sick of the tapping.

"What do you want." So blunt it sounded more like a statement than a question, regardless, it was an opening.

"I have a proposition for you, Blake." Blake raised an eyebrow and put her book down.

"A proposition? I wonder what the great Weiss Schnee could possible want from a lowlife like me." The 'Great Weiss Schnee' did her best to ignore the mocking.

"I would like to be your friend." Out of all the things her fellow team member could have possible said, this was the only one Blake wasn't ready for. For a few moments, she was completely stunned, before she finally realized what had actually just happened. Once that had been realized, Blake bursted out laughing, barely managing to stay in her chair.

Weiss waited as Blake broke down into a fit of giggles after being shushed by the other students present. Once she had become somewhat calm again, the heiress spoke again.

"I was being serious, you know."

"I know. Hehe. That's what makes it funny. A word of advice, people don't make 'propositions' of friendship. You just hangout with someone an it happens on its own." Weiss looked thoughtful.

"Oh. I guess I've never really had friends before. At least, one's that weren't set up by my father."

"So where did this sudden desire come from? Did Jaune stop giving you attention?"

"How do you know about that?"

"Yang saw you guys a few times."

"Of course. Well, to be perfectly honest… Yeah, he did. But I wanted to be your friend before that! I just… Didn't know it yet." Blake still wasn't convinced. "When I came to Beacon, I dreamed of having the perfect team. And while that's all but impossible now, having just one teammate to work with would be enough. Whatever problems you have with my family's company, I'm sorry for, but the company isn't mine. I don't make the decisions. I just want to salvage a failing team." Blake stared intensely.

The Schnee Dust Corporation had been the enemy for so long. The amount of employees she had beaten up was countless, yet nothing compared to the amount of time she spent simply hating the company. Had she been in Weiss' company only a few years ago, Weiss would probably be already knocked out. But that wasn't her anymore. Or was it?

Jaune's words came back to her mind. Not to ignoring the past, to deal with the consequences of your actions. Blake had been part of the White Fang, and she had done terrible things to people. She couldn't change her past, but maybe she could make up for it.

"Alright then. Looks like we're friends now, Sche- I mean Weiss." Weiss sighed in relief. Blake had been staring at her for a while and it had begun to make her uncomfortable.

"Great!" Weiss looked around before starting to tap the table again. "So… What does that mean, exactly?" Blake groaned.

* * *

He had never been so happy to see red leaves in his life, any life, for that matter. Finally, the hell on Remnant that was abandoning his friends for Cardin would be over, and Jaune be sane once again.

It was such a pain to avoid everyone this time around. It seemed that he had gotten a little too close with Ren and Nora, meaning he ended up sleeping on the cliffside most nights. Perhaps he had hidden a little too well, as he never got a pick me up from Ruby. Which was probably a good thing in the end, as every time he laid eyes on his angel of death, his conviction to fate faltered and he wished nothing more than to be by her side. Luckily, his days of longing had come to their end, an now all there was left to do was kill an Ursa.

Jaune tuned out Professor Goodwitch while he waited for the teams to split up. He already knew exactly what he was gonna do, and was content just to stare at the beauty around him. Cardin shook him out of his thoughts when they were ready.

"Come on, buddy. Let's get to work." Not even sparing a second glance to his team, he did just that. It sounded harsh when he put it like that, but the quicker he got this done, the quicker he could come back to them.

Memory was a funny thing. For instance, Jaune remembered that he both loved and hated this day. He could remember exactly why he loved it, Cardin stopped bullying him and he defeated an Ursa all on his own. But he never remembered why he disliked the day so much until the day came around once again. Allergies. They didn't debilitate him as a stab to the face would, but they made things so annoying! He had thought he could've collected the sap in half the time he did it last, but the constant sneezing and sniffling threw him off. This wasn't important in anyway, but it was just something notable.

When he finished, he collapsed to the ground in a heap of glass bottles. Seeing his return, Cardin got up to welcome Jaune back.

"Good job, Jaune! That wasn't so bad, was it?"

"Allergies suck." Jaune mumbled.

"Yeah sure. Now. You probably wondering, 'why did Cardin ask me to collect six jar instead of five?'"

"Sure." Jaune responded noncommitted. He doubted that's what he said last time, but as of now, he just wanted the torturous week to be over.

"Well, come on and I'll show you."

They walked to the hill overlooking his teammates. Jaune was beginning to get anxious, waiting for the moment where he would be freed.

"There she is. The girl that punched me. Does she really think she'll get away with that?"

"What are you doing Cardin?" Jaune asked the bully, more to get him to hurry up than anything else.

"Wrong question, Jaune-y. It should be, 'what are you doing?" Cardin gave him an evil grin, but Jaune didn't react. Frankly, he was too mentally drained to act scared or nervous. Plus, once you see Salem's evil grin, everything else is an innocent cartoon smiley face in comparison. Seeing Jaune's blank stare, Cardin frowned. "You're gonna help me get revenge. You see, you got us some nice rapier wasps and from what I've read, rapier wasps are attracted to sweats." He paused a moment, clearly unhappy that Jaune wasn't reacting. "You're gonna cover Nikos in sap so she'll be stung by the rapier wasps. Doesn't that make you sad or something?"

Jaune didn't want to purposefully change things. It was just… He had seen so much horror, even done some terrible things himself. And now this highschooler wanted to make him feel bad by having him cause his friend to be stung by a few wasps? Truly, in this moment, his problems were put into perspective. But he couldn't think about that now, as Cardin still awaited an answer.

"Absolutely devastated." Jaune deadpanned. "Give me the jar." After a quick look of confusion, Cardin handed him the jar and team CRDL backed away. Readying himself, Jaune aimed, and without a second thought, nailed Cardin right on the chest. "Fuck off Cardin." The team leader stared in shock at Jaune for a second before grabbing him by the shoulders.

"Oh, you've done it now, Jaune-y boy." Throwing him roughly, Cardin and his gang led Jaune further into the forest to have the shit kicked out of him. Jaune didn't care though, only thinking about how much closer he was getting.

As Cardin wailed on him, Jaune yet again remember another piece of information he had forgotten. His semblance. This was the first ever time he had seen it in action, and he was with Cardin of all people! Funny how things turn out.

When he had first realized his semblance, he had thought that it was based on touch. When Cardin punched him, the aura in his hand was transferred to Jaune's face, healing the face and hurting the hands. This didn't help much, because Cinder and Salem used long ranged weapons, but once he had found his semblance's true potential, that was when he was categorized as a threat and Salem started her aura manipulations.

"I'm gonna make sure they send you out of Beacon in pieces." Jaune rolled his eyes.

"Clever, Cardin. I've seen the face of the devil, and it is not yours, so why don't you stop acting like an asshole?" Cardin snickered.

"So you think you're a man now? I'll show you what it means to be a man." Another good thing about the long ranged aura drain, besides being long ranged, was that it wasn't flashy. While having a bright flash of light appear every time you were hit disoriented the enemy, it also disoriented him, making it so he rarely ever used it. However, in this case, he felt the spectacle was fitting, considering what would happen next. "Argh! Fine. Let's see how much of a man you really are."

"RAAARARGAHARAGHAGA!" On the list of things he never thought he'd be happy about, the 'roar of an ursa' happened to be right under 'red leaves.' The ursa sniffed the air and looked directly at Cardin, who was now shivering in his boots. It roared again, and Cardin's tea went running.

"That's a big ursa!" One of the goons yelled. Jaune almost laughed at that. This was not even close to a 'big' ursa. Cardin was knocked to the side and the bear-like creature went after him, completely ignoring Jaune. And that was a deadly mistake. But first, he was gonna enjoy watching Cardin get beat up some more.

* * *

"RAAARARGAHARAGHAGA!" The roar of an ursa echoed through the forest as teams RWBY and NPR collected sap. They all snapped their heads up from their work.

"Did you hear that?" Ruby asked. Just as soon, three morons came running through the woods.

"Ursa! Ursa!" One slammed into Yang and she picked him up by the shirt.

"Where?" The cowardly man pointed behind him.

"Back there! It's got Cardin!" Hearing this, Pyrrha dropped her sap.

"Jaune!" Both Weiss and Ruby heard this, making a move to follow after Pyrrha who had run off. At the same time, Ruby issued orders to Blake and Yang to get Goodwitch. Ren and Nora followed suit.

They arrived to the clearing just in time to see Cardin get knocked down by a giant ursa hand. Before they could intercept, the grimm went for another strike that was blocked by Jaune.

For someone who claimed to be weak, he sure didn't look the part when he barely flinched at the force of the blow. Even less so when he effortlessly pushed the ursa off and stabbed it through the neck with calculated precision. Two of the three girls were in speechless awe, while the other one merely waited silently to see what would happen next.

Jaune walked over to his seated bully with a never before seen confidence. He offered his hand out and Cardin took it hesitantly. When Cardin was pulled up halfway, Jaune let go and Cardin hit the ground with a grunt and a thud.

"Let's have a chat. Huh buddy?" His voice had a dangerous edge to it, further extenuated by the fact that he still had his sword out.

"L-look." Cardin stuttered. "I'm sorry. I really am! I'll never bully you again, I swear it!" Jaune just shook his head.

"Cardin, Cardin, Cardin… You have no idea the hell I've been through this week, and frankly, I hope you never do. You have a bright future ahead of you Cardin, if only you would stop being such an asshole and seize it. But, it's not me that I don't want you to bully, I already know you won't be doing that, I don't want you to bully my friends." At the word 'friends' Jaune brought his sword to Cardin's throat, who gulped nervously. "Now, I'm not asking you to change your ways, I'm not that cruel, I'm just asking you to avoid a few people. Seven, to be exact. Team RWBY and JNPR. Not too hard, is it?" Cardin nodded as fast as he could. "I'm glad you understand. But just in case, I'll give you a clear warning."

Jaune picked Cardin up with one hand and lifted him off the ground to where his legs dangled under him.

"If I see so much as a single hair on their heads out of place, and it somehow leads back to you… You'll be wishing I let the ursa eat you." Jaune dropped the former bully unceremoniously and began to walk back to the main group, never seeing the three girls hiding in the bushes, all thinking the same thing.

Who is this man?

* * *

 **Jaune is nothing without his friends, and nowhere can this be seen clearer than when he is separated from them.**

 **This'll be short because writing this chapter was a huge pain in the ass. The next chapter will be big as well, but it'll definitely be a while before it comes out. There's no way I'll try to brute force finish a chapter like this again.**

 **I'll address the reviews from the last chapter in the next one when I'm less tired.**

 **Anyway**

 **I removed the last chapter and combined it with chapter nine and somewhat with this chapter. Go reread chapter nine if you want.**

 **The plan at the beginning of the chapter will be explained next time.**

 **Jaune does tell Pyrrha that he's doing everything for the second time, but she's so caught up in the moment that she doesn't even notice it. Nobody knows about him getting sent back just yet.**

 **In Jaunedice Part Two, Jaune actually says that his dream is to become the hero. I did not have any idea that was there at first and everything I've said that makes it look like I knew about it was a coincidence. Haha. Funny. I am so tired…**

 **Helpful criticism welcome, your amazing reviews appreciated, and until next time,**

 **-RMV**

 **I'm gonna go take an aspirin and a nap.**

 **Edit: Changed the last line because it sucked.**


	11. Tipping Point

**Over Eight thousand words this time! Fitting that the first arc finally would be the longest chapter to date. Enjoy.**

* * *

Just like last time, Jaune stood on the roof, waiting for Pyrrha. After finally being finished with Cardin, he couldn't help but feel pleased. Even though he knew he shouldn't be. He had let himself get carried away, delighting in the ursa's beatdown of Cardin, then threatening him on top of that. It felt wrong to find joy in his pain, yet… It felt so right. Needless to say, this thought gave Jaune goosebumps, so he promptly put an end to it. Instead, focusing on what sort of punishment fate would give him for his blatant and willing changes.

"So you finally got rid of Cardin, huh?" Jaune turned to see his partner standing at the door. She approached him and he smiled. Simply talking to his friends once again put his mind at ease. "I thought you two were best pals."

"Pyrrha, I'm sor-" His apology was cut short by her placing a finger on his lips.

"You have nothing to be sorry about, Jaune. If anything, I should be the one to say sorry. I tried to make you open up for me, when I should have been trying to make you want to open up for me. I figured that because we were partners, we automatically had boundaries. But that clearly isn't true, and I overstepped yours. For that, I am sorry." That was unexpected. With his mind racing, he barely formed a response.

"It's, uh, okay." She patted him on the shoulder in a friendly sort of fashion.

"I'm glad. Look Jaune, I want you to know that I'm here for you. Whenever you're ready to talk, I'll be waiting. I hope that one day we can be friends." She flashed him a smile and walked towards the exit. "You should come back to the room, Ren's made pancakes." She called out as she made her exit. So many thoughts were going through his mind, he almost forgot the most important part of this talk.

"Wait, Pyrrha!" He cried out to her retreating form. She stopped and turned around. "Would you… Would you be willing to train me, so I can be stronger?" At this, she gained a sour look to her features.

"Jaune, I'll respect that you want people to think you're weak, but all I ask in return is that you don't lie to my face." He could do nothing but stare speechlessly as she walked away.

Had he finally done it? Had he finally changed things too much? Or, perhaps an even worse thought, was that his punishment?

* * *

"I forgive you Jaune. It's good to have you back." He grinned at the ease of his forgiveness. Not for any wicked reasons, but for the fact that he could always count on Ruby. They sat in the courtyard, night already upon them. Since they went right back to classes after the field trip, Jaune had to wait until after them to apologize to her.

"Thank you, Ruby." He gave her a hug that she returned with force. They disengaged and Jaune looked at his scroll. "Well, I should probably get going back to my dorm. Wouldn't want to worry everyone, ya know?"

"Actually… Could we talk for a bit? Not too long! But I just want to hang out with you like before." He was taken aback, but could not deny her.

"Sure. Is everything okay?" She looked away, mumbled something, then looked back to him.

"I'm fine. Weiss is still not cooperating, and now she's starting to take away Yang's partner, but that's not what I wanted to talk about." He furrowed his brow in confusion.

"Then, what?"

"I wanted to talk about you, or your past." She tried to read his expression, before adding something on. "Only if you want to, of course! I just wanted to get to know you a little better." He considered this. They had been good friends throughout their time at Beacon, but they didn't start to talk about each other's past until after the fall. Talking about better times kept them sane. He glanced back at Ruby who seemed to be nervously waiting for an answer. It couldn't hurt to bond a little early, right?

"Sure. What do you want to know?"At the okay, her eyes lit up.

"What's your family like? Do you have cousins and aunts and stuff? 'Cause I only have an uncle." He chuckled. With an uncle like Qrow, who needed any more?

No cousins and aunts and stuff. Even so, I had a big family. Seven sisters was plenty enough for me. Three older, three younger, and a twin." He hadn't thought about his family in a good long time. Once Beacon had fell, communication between the small towns had all but vanished. He didn't hear anything about them for a couple years, and when he did, it was from the worst source possible. Cinder, in yet another attempt to throw him off, had said that she killed all of them. He refused to believe this, and did no mourning for them. Up onto the day he died, he believed they were alive and thought nothing more about them.

"Had? What happened?" He froze. She called him out on his slip up. The unfortunate side effect of being in the past was that he thought about things that hadn't happened yet like they had. And while he never believed his family was dead, he never found them and in sense had lost them. Before he could think of an excuse, however, she spoke once again. "Oh! I'm really sorry, that was insensitive of me. If it makes you feel any better my mother's dead but it probably doesn't hahahaha Iamsosorr-" She started to ramble at the end, but was cut off by his hand on her mouth.

"It's okay Ruby. I'm sorry for your loss as well." He decided to just play along with it. The likelihood of them actually meeting his family was so low it didn't really matter. "But how about we stop it with the 'sorries.' I'd hate for this to become our very own two person 'pity party.'" In response, she cuddled into his side.

"If it was with you, Jaune, I'd go to that party." He reached his arm around her and pulled her in a little closer, both of them thinking on the people the had lost. One, a lot more than the other.

Unknown to the both of them, a certain yellow haired brawler hid in the shadows, waiting for Ruby to make any sign of distress. For the remainder of their time outside, she would find none.

* * *

Around a week after Forever Falls, Weiss found herself sitting in the library with Blake. She found herself going there quite a lot actually, whether it was to connect with Blake, which was going decently well, or to simply study. Weiss' time at Beacon was starting to look promising again. Not to mention, she now knew Blake liked fish, hated dogs, and preferred the color black. One of these facts was more obvious than the others. They had even started to get in a routine of talking, studying and sparring together, though it was a work in progress.

Today, however, the routine was broken, as another person sat at their practically designated table. Jaune Arc. After seeing his performance in the woods, Weiss found it pertinent that they became friends as well. Taking into account Blake's advice, Weiss asked Jaune to join them in the library for lunch instead of proposing to be friends. Not that she would have anyway. He would've probably taken it as something romantic, which was still the last thing she wanted out of him.

Since Blake was also her friend, Weiss thought it would be a good idea to make her and Jaune friends as well. This way, Weiss could consolidate her pow- Uh, sorry, no. She could hold onto her friends better. Yeah, that was it. Unfortunately, this idea didn't seem to be going well, as Jaune seemed to be staring into space while Blake gave him more glances than she did her actual book. The tension reminded her somewhat of the meetings her father made her sit in on when she got in trouble as a child. Because of this similarity, she tried to open up the conversation the same way he did.

"So Blake, this is Jau-"

"We know each other." The black haired girl cut off quickly. The tension continued.

"Okay then… I thought it would be good if we had someone else to help us with studying and fighting. To vary it up a bit."

"So you got the guy with the eighty average who constantly gets his ass kicked in combat class?" Blake deadpanned. Weiss flinched a little. When she put it like that, it did seem kind of stupid.

"I'm sure he will surprise us. Right Jaune?" Weiss elbowed him in the side and he snapped out of his trance.

'Huh? What? Sorry, I wasn't paying attention. What were we talking about again?" Blake's glare intensified and Weiss smiled nervously. She had overreached herself, but maybe she could salvage this play.

"We were talking about going into Vale this friday."

"Why would we do that?" Jaune asked, bewildered.

"I second that." Blake added.

"I heard a rumor that students from Vacuo will be arriving and I wanted us to be there to greet them."

"You want to spy on the competition for the Vital Festival." Her teammember translated.

"No." Blake gave her a look. "Okay, maybe. But still! It'll be fun. What could go wrong?"

"Ignoring the fact that you jinxed us, I'm in." Jaune offered. "I don't think there's anything important on that day…"

"Great." One person secured, now for the other. "And you Blake?"

"No. I have stuff to do." Weiss raised an eyebrow.

"Like what?"

"Like… Uh…"

"Come on, Blake. What's there to lose?" The girl in question looked to Jaune, who said nothing, then sighed.

"Alright, fine."

"You won't regret it." Weiss promised. And what a promise that was.

* * *

"Don't you just love the Vital Festival?" Weiss asked her companions as they walked to the docks. Jaune figured he would have remembered doing this last time, but figured it wouldn't cause too much damage. Today was the thirteenth, and it was a week from today when team RWBY had their issues with Blake.

He had been fairly surprised when Weiss started trying to hang out with him more, but he didn't think too much of it. Plus, what was he gonna do, say no? If he wanted people to think he had a crush on Weiss in order to maintain the timeline, he couldn't just reject an offer to be together. At the same time, he was making a change, further clouding what was the right choice and what wasn't. Jaune had decided to adopt the stance 'what would the old me do?' If the past Jaune would do it, he would do it. It ended up putting him in new situations, but so far hadn't changed anything major, to his knowledge.

"I don't know. I've never been to one before." He answered the question while Blake just ignored them both. Weiss scoffed. Clearly his answer was not satisfactory.

"I'm not talking about the experience, though I'm sure that's fine. I'm talking about all the planning behind it! Dances, parades, the tournament! All of these things, meticulously ordered to perfection! Just thinking about it takes my breath away. One day, I want to do something like that." Jaune thought on this. After Beacon fell and Salem made herself known to the world, it fell upon Jaune and many other Hunters to create refugee camps and organize search parties and such. He was basically a war general in all but name.

"I guess that is cool. Though I imagine planning an attack would be more stressful, yet more impressive." Next to Weiss, Blake seized up slightly, but Jaune didn't notice.

"What about you, Blake? Have you ever had to plan anything?" Blake eyed Jaune for a moment before responding.

"I planned a few things, but… The stress got to me, so I quit for good." It was due to his foresight that he picked up on Blake's subtle mention of the White Fang. He decided to give her some oblivious support.

"Well, you're here now. So it doesn't really matter anymore." The secret faunus went to respond, but Jaune noticed something in the corner of his eye before hand. "What went down over there?" Together, the three of them walked over to the dust shop covered in police tape.

"What happened here?" Weiss asked one of the police officers that was going through the scene of the crime.

"Robbery. Second dust shop to be hit this week. This place is turning into a jungle…" The cop muttered and walked away. They continued to listen as he conferred with his partner.

"They left all the money again." The second policeman noted.

"Just doesn't make a lick of sense. Who needs that much dust?"

"I don't know, know what I mean?" The second officer tried to respond, but his words came out so slurred Jaune could barely figure them out. Clearly the first cop understood as he carried on the conversation.

"You thinkin' the, uh… White Fang?"

"Yeah, I'm thinking we don't get paid enough." Jaune chuckled to himself at the officer's antics. No wonder Roman Torchwick could so easily rob all the shops. The police here were useless! To his side, Weiss 'hmph'ed.

"Hmph. The White Fang. What an awful bunch of degenerates." Weiss sneered. Blake put a hand on her hip.

"Why so much hatred?" She questioned defensively.

"Hatred?! Why do you think? You of all people know the reputation the Schnee family has with insane faunuses. It's the first thing you said when we met!"

"Insane? The White Fang are hardly a bunch of psychopaths. They're a collection of misguided faunus." Suddenly, Jaune got flashbacks to the fall of Beacon.

"I'd have to disagree with that." He added to the conversation, making Weiss grin triumphantly. Blake practically growled.

"Fine. It still doesn't explain why'd they rob a dust shop and not take any money."

"Well, that's not exactly true. They might just want to blow something up. They are terrorists." Jaune commented, completely unaware to the truth of his statement. Before Blake could respond, they heard a yell back by the docks.

"Hey! Stop that faunus!" They rushed over to see a familiar monkey faunus running away from some guards on the ship. Jaune could've sworn that Sun only came to Vale around the time of the dockyard incident, but it could've just been because he wasn't in town when Sun arrived.

As Jaune tried his best to remember the circumstance around Sun's arrival that he had only gotten hints to in the past, the faunus in question threw a banana peel on the first cop's face and was now running towards them. As Sun passed, Jaune was just able to notice him wink at Blake while continuing his escape. Jaune almost laughed out loud. Of course the first time Sun sees Blake, he winks at her. He must have fallen for Blake the first time he saw her, never truly getting over her in the future.

"Well, there's our competition." Jaune noted. Realizing this, Weiss pointed towards the stowaway.

"After him!" With that, they took off. Jaune noticed was Blake slightly stunned before she joined the chase. Oh, would Sun have loved to know that bit of information.

Rounding a corner right after Weiss, he was barely able to stop himself from bumping into yet another familiar face that he shouldn't be meeting right now. Sun and now Penny. He was starting to think he had done something wrong.

"Ugh. Which way did he go?" Weiss said, climbing to her feet.

"Uh… Weiss?" Jaune pointed to the ground which Penny was laying on.

"Salutations!" The android greeted fondly.

"Oh. Hello." Weiss responded courteously.

"Are you okay?" Blake asked, clearly not at all caring.

"I'm wonderful! Thanks for asking!" Penny gave her a big grin, oblivious to the apathy.

"Are you gonna get up?" Jaune questioned the peppy bot that was still laying on the ground. She looked around as if to consider it.

"Yes!" She declared happily, popping up with a front spring. "I'm Penny. It's nice to meet you!"

"Jaune."

"Blake."

"And Weiss makes three, yeah, whatever." Weiss deadpanned. "Anyway. Did you happen to see where that faunus degenerate went?"

"Who?"

"The monkey tailed rapscallion from the boat!"

"Stop saying that!" Blake shouted at the heiress, cutting off Penny's response.

"What? He's a stowaway, a criminal! I'm just telling it like it is." Weiss defended herself.

"He's a person!"

"He is a rogue faunus, who will probably end up joining the White Fang like all the other scum there."

"You ignorant brat!" Blake stomped away.

"How dare you!" Weiss stomped after her. Jaune turned to Penny, who had been silently watching the whole event.

"Why don't you run along now, Penny. We kind of got our own things to sort out."

"Okay then. Take care!"

"You too, Penny." He watched Penny leave before turning his attention back to the angry girls. Well, he said girls as if they were younger than him, when really they were all the same age.

"How could you defend a terrorist organization like that? They actively inflict hate crimes upon humanity! They are pure evil!"

"There's no such thing as pure evil! Why do you think they have such a hatred for humanity? It's because of people like Cardin, people like you and your company that force the White Fang to take drastic measures!"

"People like me!" Weiss was now borderline screeching. It was lucky that they were in an empty street or else they'd be garnering a lot of attention. "I'm a victim! My whole life I've been under heavy guard, never knowing whether I'd live to see the next day, whether my family would see the next day! They killed friends, butched family! How could you ever defend such types of people?! Liers! Thieves! Murderers!"

"Well maybe we were just tired of being pushed around!" All three of them froze.

For a single moment, everything was silent, still. As if the entire world had stopped to process what had just happened.

"I- I-" Blake stuttered, then took off running.

"Blake, wait!" Weiss called out, but it was too late. She bolted like lightning, and was around the corner in a flash. Jaune stared at where she disappeared.

"Weiss… Is today the thirteenth?"

"What? What are you-" He grabbed her by the shoulders.

"Weiss! Is today the thirteenth? Please, it's important."

"No, it's the twentieth. Why is that-" She tried to understand his question, but he had already tuned her out.

The twentieth. The day when Team RWBY went to the docks and Blake ended up running away. How could he have been so stupid to not notice? In his time with Cardin, he had completely spaced out and blotted out an entire week from his mind. Today was the start of everything. Team RWBY's first encounter with the White Fang, the first meeting with Sun, the first meeting with Penny. And he was right in the middle of it all, where he didn't belong.

"Oh shit."

* * *

They spent the rest of the day looking for her, before they had to catch the airship back to Beacon. Well, Weiss said 'they,' but it was really her that did all of the looking. Jaune was in his own little world most of the time. Not that she blamed him, he seemed to have his own history with the White Fang.

Blake was in the White Fang. It felt weird to think it, and Weiss couldn't even bring herself to say it out loud. She knew she should be mad, a White Fang member hiding under her very nose? Yet she couldn't bring herself to feel it, to curse Blake's name, to break the bonds of their friendship. And that was the problem, wasn't it? She and Blake were friends. Not best friends, but certainly the closest to one that Weiss ever had, and friends worried for each other. That's what Weiss was feeling, worry for her friends safety, along with a hint of shame for driving her off.

Argh! She wanted to rip her hair out! Blake had admitted to being part of the organization that terrorized the better part of her entire life and took away people she loved, yet Weiss was still concerned about her!

She barely noticed that they had arrived to their rooms until Jaune said something about 'giving Blake the weekend,' before shutting his dorm room door behind him. And now she had to enter her dorm, and face her teammates… Maybe they wouldn't notice. Taking a deep breath, Weiss walked into her most hated room in Beacon. Instantly, Yang noticed.

"Where's Blake?" Yang asked, showing no concern for Weiss whatsoever. Ruby looked up from her book and took notice as well.

"Blake… Might not be coming back tonight." Or ever, but Weiss kept that part to herself. Yang got up from the bed and assumed a threatening stance.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Yang questioned, eyes narrowing.

"We had a… Disagreement and she ran away." Yang cracked his knuckles and Ruby got down from her bed as well.

"Disagreement about what?" Weiss glared at the blond.

"That's private." Yang picked Weiss up by the neck, ignoring Ruby's pleas to stop fighting.

"She's my partner. I think I have a right to know." Weiss' glare got even colder, refusing to back down.

"Being partners means- glk- Nothing." Weiss choked out. "She's my friend, and it's- ugt- Private." Yang dropped Weiss and the heiress took in a big gulp of air, able to refill her lungs once more.

"If you make your friends run away from you, I'm glad we're enemies." Yang snarked, filling Weiss with more shame.

"Nobody is an enemy to anybody here." Ruby announced, trying to keep the piece, placing herself between Weiss and Yang. "Weiss, this thing you guys disagreed on… Should we be worried if she doesn't come back?" Not wanting to answer Ruby, but seeing no other choice, Weiss sighed.

"She probably needs time to herself to think. Give Blake the weekend."

"And if she's not back by the weekend, we'll go looking for my partner that you drove away." Yang decided.

"I'll be looking for my friend while you do so." The amount of hatred she felt towards Yang now was indescribable. The woman who crushed her dreams and simply laughed. The woman that acted like she deserved to be with Blake more than Weiss, who had actually made an effort to interact with the shut in. One day, Weiss would give her a taste of her own medicine, and the busty bitch wouldn't even know what hit her.

But for now, she just had to try to not be murdered in her sleep.

* * *

Jaune decided that the best course of action to right the wrongs he made would be to go with Ruby's team to Vale in order to guide everyone in the right direction. He had not expected the tension that could be cut with a knife on the ride in.

Why was Team RWBY so dysfunctional? Surely they weren't this bad last time around. Where did he go wrong?

When the airship stopped, Weiss and Yang instantly walked off in opposite directions, with Ruby going to follow Yang, leaving him to be alone. Realizing that he didn't actually know what to do in order to fix things, he made his way to a vantage point overlooking the dockyards and waited, trying to recall every piece of information he could about the incident.

What more could he do?

* * *

"So, what's the plan now?" The monkey faunus Sun Wukong asked Blake. They had met up a little while after she had ran away from Weiss and Jaune, and he wouldn't leave her alone, which was both good and bad.

"I still don't think the White Fang is behind these robberies. Why would they need so much dust?" Jaune's comment on blowing things up came back to her mind, but she shook it out again. The bad thing with Sun was that he was pestering and annoying, and pretty much the opposite of a bookworm like herself.

"Well… The only way to prove that the White Fang wasn't guilty would be to go to the place where you'd expect them to show up, and not find them there. Right?" Not to mention, he didn't exactly have a way with words.

"That's fine and all, but do you know of a place? Because I don't." He flashed her a wide grin.

"It's your lucky day, Blake, because I know exactly the place. While on the ship, I heard some guys talking about unloading a huge shipment of dust from a big Schnee Company freighter."

"You're sure?"

"Absolutely. Come on!" The good thing about Sun was that he somehow managed to help her deal with her problems, even though they'd only known each other for three days. Not to mention, he wasn't exactly an eyesore with those abs of his.

* * *

"We've been around the town five times already, Yang. I'm starting to get worried." And who's fault was that? Oh yeah, Weiss, as always. Yang was beginning to think the snob only existed to be a pain in her ass.

First it was Ruby. Poor, innocent Ruby. She was already going to have a hard time at Beacon without the heiress making it that much worse. Her threat did some good, but it couldn't stop the glares or the snide remarks. Then Weiss just had to annoy Yang even further by taking her partner away. Her partner! Sure, she and Blake didn't bond very fast, and Yang kind of ignored her while trying to help Ruby with her problems, but still! These things took time. But now Yang rarely saw Blake anymore outside of class, and because of the white haired bitch, who knew when she'd see Blake again.

"So am I, Ruby. Ugh. Out of all the people you had to get stuck with, why'd it have to be Weiss? Aside from Cardin, she has to be the worst partner you could possibly get."

"Yang, don't be mean."

"Why are you so insistent on defending her? She's been nothing but a hassle for the whole team and a bully."

"If we don't leave the door open for her, she'll never come through it." Yang chuckled.

"Where'd you here that? A fortune cookie?" If she couldn't eat regular cookies, fortune cookies would have to do for Ruby. Needless to say, Ruby had quite the stash of small paper wisdom back at home. She had no idea why her little sister always kept them all. Yang never got any that applied to her. 'Rash decisions lead to poor outcomes?' What does that even mean?

"No. It was something Jaune told me once." Before Yang could even start to think negative comments about Jaune, she was cut off by the sound of an explosion in the distance. Ruby and Yang looked at each other. "Do you think that had something to do with Blake?"

"In all probability, no. But with your luck, probably." Yang's quip quota out of the way for today, they rushed off towards the dockyards.

* * *

The amount of lien Weiss had used to get information out of people was somewhere in the hundreds. The money was turning up good results, but the trail went cold at a teashop Blake and a companion left behind mere hours ago.

Somewhere in the back of her mind, Weiss wanted to condemn Blake for associating with the criminal faunus, but still couldn't do. They had to talk, if only to hear Blake say the words 'I'm part of the White Fang and I hate you.' The heiress was honestly unable to tell whether she was dreading those words or hoping for them.

She had barely been able to sleep for the last two days, all because of her so called 'friend.' Why did she have to become friends with Blake of all people? The one person in the school that had anything to do with illegal activities. Just her luck. For that matter, why did she even come to Beacon at all? If her past self had known that she would end up running on three hours of sleep trying to track down a White Fang member to see if they were alright, she would have transferred to Atlus there and then. But it was too late for that now. Here she was, accepting of her situation or otherwise.

Her thoughts were cut into by an explosion in the general direction she was told Blake had went.

Of fucking course.

* * *

The explosion snapped him out of his day dreaming. Or night dreaming, as it was already evening. Time sure did pass when he was in his own little world. Blake and Sun began their tangle with the terrorists, while he watched on. From what Ruby told him so long ago, he remembered the day like this. Something something, Sun, something something, Penny, something something, Torchwick, White Fang, the journey begins. He had been paying attention at the time, but the details had been exchanged for other things. For instance, he knew where the entrance to every single cave in Vale was and where they connected to. That didn't help him now, but it was an example.

Right when a box was about to crush Blake and Sun while they fought Torchwick, it was stopped by white glyphs and Weiss entered the fray. Weiss? He remembered that she was in town at the time this happened, but for some reason he didn't actually think she fought. But why wouldn't she? She and Blake were good friends last time, right?

The 3v1 versus Torchwick didn't last long as more bullheads arrived shortly, each carrying at least five White Fang soldiers. He had to remind himself not to interfere as he watched his friends be overwhelmed. Before they were subdued and hurt, however, Ruby and Yang joined into the fray. Once again, he had a strange feeling that Yang wasn't meant to be there, but ignored it still.

By this time, the soldiers on the ground started to get up and the tide turned back in Torchwick's favor. It didn't seem like it from the students' point of views, but Jaune, in his years of battle experience, saw the truth. That was their problem, they weren't killing anyone. While nobody wanted to take a life essively, it was a necessary evil in war. It was only after seeing the third and worst White Fang ravaged town that killing the faunus came easy to Jaune. And once that came easy, so to did battles in general. As horrid as it was to say, killing your enemy made things less difficult in the long run.

Seeing Ruby getting overrun with White Fang members forced him to use every ounce of concentration he had to not start running over to help. Not that he could do that, considering he was across the water from her, but the point still stood.

Now where was Penny? Things were getting dicy, so she should be there to help by now. Ruby got nicked with a sword and Jaune spasmed as he instantly brought himself up then forced himself back down onto the rooftops once more. Taking a deep breath to calm himself, he asked the question that had kept him sane for so long.

Do you believe in destiny?

* * *

Cinder now stood in front of him, her mouth moving to say some kind of taunt, but he could hear nothing. She raised Crescent Rose, aligning it with his neck, and after a few more parting words, she swung downwards.

Only to be blocked by another weapon. Crescent Rose 2.0, Ruby's back up weapon.

"I'd appreciate it if you didn't kill any more of my friends, thanks." The beautiful reaper told off Cinder. Jumping away to a safe distance, she dropped Ruby's weapon in favor for her own. Mercury got in a ready stance. "I wouldn't stick around if I was you guys. Everyone's coming, I was just the fastest one here."

"Grr…" Cinder snaraled. "Emerald can't do anything right, can she? If she has the stupidity enough to show her face to me again, she will be punished."

"Should we take the girl out?" Mercury asked his boss. Cinder looked to Ruby, who had waited by Jaune while she was distracted with her subordinate's failure.

"No. We retreat." Ruby continued to stare impassively as Salem's pawns vanished into the flames. After standing by to make sure the she-devil wasn't coming back, the girl without the red cloak came to his side.

"Where are the others?" Ruby laughed nervously.

"I lied about that. Everyone else though you were dead when they saw the shield. I was the only one who went after you." Jaune gawked at her before giving a chuckle of disbelief.

"You have no idea how beautiful you are right now." If she blushed, it was concealed by the flames dancing all around them. Her expression became concerned.

"What happened to you, Jaune? They shouldn't have been able to defeat you like that. I know you're better than Mercury of all people."

"They told me that everyone was dead, Weiss, Ren, everyone. I couldn't bare to live in a world without them, without you!" Her silver eyes were filled with empathy now.

"I know how you feel Jaune, exactly how you feel. So promise me that you'll never leave my side or stupidly sacrifice yourself for the greater good, and I'll promise the same thing."

"I promise."

"And so do I. Looks like we're stuck with each other now." They both smiled, knowing that they had been stuck together much longer ago.

"Ruby?"

"Yes Jaune?"

"Marry me."

"Yes Jaune."

* * *

Fuck destiny. Fuck fate. Fuck the timeline. Fuck EVERYTHING! She was all that matter to him and nothing would change that. Let fate strike him down, at least he'd be dying for her.

His blood boiled with rage as he saw yet another person land a hit on Ruby. His Ruby. Without even knowing what he was doing, he reached out with his aura to the metal paneling he stood on and ripped it off the roof, causing him to float with the panel. Without even registering the fact that he was using polarity, he sent the panel flying towards the docks, with him along for the ride.

In one point seven two seconds, he made it to his friends and jumped off the metal panel as it continued to fly off, hitting an unlucky person and pinning him to a wall, bisecting him completely in half. Casual murder aside, Jaune went on to do some regular murders while he made his way to Ruby, who was making her way to Torchwick.

He cut through faunus like a hot knife through butter, completely unstoppable to the point where the smarter ones let him past without a fight. Finally, he made it to Ruby, who was in the process of losing a battle with the criminal mastermind.

"Face it Red, you and your buddies can't defeat me!" Roman Torchwick called out to the scythe wielding huntress as one of the blasts from his cane connected. Hearing Jaune's approach, he turned. "And who do we have here? Another brave soul to try and defeat- Oof!"

With one hand raised, Jaune reached out and ripped all the aura from Torchwick's body.

"Holy shit!" The bowler hat wearing killer yelled in surprise, immediately backing up to try and put as much distance between him and the quickly approaching Jaune as possible. "Look kid, you don't know what you're doing. You don't want to have a murder on your conscience so young, it'll ruin you!"

"I've already killed more people than you can count." Jaune replied simply, still advancing. Torchwick went pale.

"You know what? I've had enough of this place. Neo- Hrk!" His cries for help were cut short by the sword sticking through his chest. His eyes were wide, and when he tried to talk he just coughed up blood. Jaune relished in that look, in the death of the man responsible for thousands of innocent flames to be extinguished. He deserved this and so much more.

What Jaune had failed to notice in his revelry, was a stiletto heeled foot flying towards his face, sending him flying backwards. Steadying himself, he looked up just in time to see someone he had never encountered before. A short woman, with a pink, brown, and white outfit with the hair to match. After taking Roman and his things in her arms, she sent him a death glare before disappearing with the sound of shattered glass.

"She was… New." He commented to himself, still trying to wrap his mind around what he had seen. Looking back to his friends, it seemed he had killed enough people so that they could subdue the rest. The police sirens went off and the weight of his actions finally hit him.

What had he done?

* * *

To say Blake was on edge was an understatement. The heiress to the Schnee Dust Company, the company constantly attacked by the White Fang, knew that she was once a member and there were police around. Not to mention, the other person who knew had just killed twenty seven members as well as the Roman Torchwick. So yeah, she was stressed out.

She considered running away like all the other times she had been in a difficult situation, but decided against it. There was no more running for her, it was time she faced her past. Said face off came sooner than she liked, as Weiss came up to her from behind. She didn't have any officers with her, which was a good sign, but her face was passive, not relaying any emotions.

"Weiss, I'm not part of the White Fang anymore. I swear! I-" The now revealed cat faunus was cut off when Weiss took her into an unexpected hug as soon as she finished those words. Blake was stunned for a bit, but eventually returned the embrace. Weiss broke the hug and they stared into each other's eyes.

"Blake… You have no clue how glad I am to hear you say that. You were right, I was being an ignorant brat. I let biases get the better of me and hurt you because of it. I'm sorry." Blake shook her head, barely believing what she was hearing.

"No, you were right. The White Fang are terrorists, that's why I left. I guess I still had some affection for them because I defended their actions even though I thought I was past all that. But now I am. Tonight, I saw what I should've seen long ago. And for taking so much time to do so, I'm sorry." Weiss smiled sadly.

"I almost never saw this, but how about we just say we were both wrong and call it even?" She held out a hand.

"Of course." They shook then came back in for another hug. Then Blake realised something. "What am I supposed to say to Ruby and Yang?" She whispered in Weiss' ear. Blake could feel the heiress trying to contain a small laugh.

"Whatever you decide to do, I'll be right behind you on it. Speaking of which, Yang's right behind you."

* * *

Jaune was numb, from his head to his toes. Not because of the people he killed, but of what that implied. He changed things. He killed Torchwick. But what did that mean for him? His brooding was interrupted by a welcome voice.

"Hey Jaune… Are you okay?" Leave it to Ruby to make him smile. She walked with a slight limp while holding a bandaged arm. It infuriated him that she was hurt, but the culprits had already been taken care of.

"Believe it or not, Ruby, I don't have a scratch on me." She frowned.

"I didn't mean physically." Now he frowned.

"To be completely honest. Not really." He answered her next question before she even asked it. "I can't really talk about it, but I'll be fine. How about you? Non-physically, I mean."

"Well… I, uh, wanted to thank you. For saving me. I probably wouldn't be alive right now had you done nothing." Yes, but that didn't make any sense. She was supposed to be the hero!

"Ruby, be honest with me. Are you… Afraid of me for killing those people?" She gave him an intense look.

"No. You did what you had to do. They were bad people who would have ended me if they had the chance. You're my hero, Jaune." Jaune took a moment to register her words, then everything clicked together in his mind.

He wasn't meant to be the hero, so when he was, bad things happened. Bad things like a new, more powerful enemy taking Roman's place. One he had never seen before. But why would fate change the timeline itself? Maybe, changes could happen as long as it wasn't from him trying to be the hero. Maybe he could influence Ruby to make those changes for him. Maybe he had to be the hero of the hero.

"Ruby?"

"Yes Jaune?"

"I can't get into specifics, but bad things are coming in the future. I… I want to train you to be ready for those things, so you can be the hero and protect the ones you love. Basically, would you let me be your mentor?"

"Yes Jaune."

Things were different now. The future no longer held the answers and it was all because of him. But maybe, things were just similar enough.

* * *

"I'm sorry ma'am. We did everything we could, but he's… Gone now. His aura was completely depleted when you delivered him to us. Really, he had no chance." The pink, white, and brown haired woman picked herself up from the deceased criminal mastermind's side. She had held his hand the entire time his private doctors worked on him, but there was nothing she could do. She didn't know how to give aura to him, she didn't know how to heal a punctured lung and heart. The doctor was right, he had no chance to begin with.

That made her angry. Roman had paid these three doctors thousands of lien to keep quiet and work on his men, and this was how they repaid him? No. The payment would have to be in blood.

"Ma'am, what are you doing? Ma'am? Ma- Ahh-!" Silence. The woman by the name of Neopolitan was now covered in blood, just as the doctors had been, but she didn't mind. Unlike them, she did her job well and without complaints.

She looked back over to Roman, her poor, poor Roman. There were no words to describe the fury she felt every time she closed her eyes and saw the blond who had did this to him. She would have her revenge. Hot, cold, other. It didn't matter. Just as long as Roman's killer was dead by her hands.

Neo looked to his belongings that had been stripped off him and haphazardly placed on the table. They weren't his anymore. He couldn't own anything, he was dead. So now they were her's. And since they were her's, it was only fitting that she put them on. The jacket he wore now seemed more like a trenchcoat on her, but his hat fit nicely. She put her new cane weapon with her umbrella in the corner and proceeded to ignore the tears she was spilling while lighting up a cigar with trembling hands.

In the silence of the room, she was able to overhear the goons whispering outside.

"I heard that they were like father and daughter because he rescued her from a bunch of thugs back in the day when he was still a hunter." Goon number one theorized.

"No, you got it all wrong." Goon number two refuted. "They're actually brother and sister. He dropped out of combat school when their parents died so he could take care of her."

"Bull shit." The third declared finally. "Did you not see the look on her face when she came in with him? There was definitely sex in that relationship. No doubt about it."

Their relationship… What had it been? Were they lovers, related, adopted? She didn't even know anymore. But it didn't matter. He was gone, and she was not. She had work to do.

Teleporting out of the now smoke filled room, the smell of smoke was better than the smell of death, Neo grabbed Roman's next mission statement in his office. No. Her office. She was in charge now. Teleporting back to Roman's death bed, she walked out and handed the clipboard to the third goon who had moved to let her out. Roman had always made little printouts for his henchmen to read that simplified their objective. He said that none of them were smart enough to listen to what he said and accomplish everything he needed. All except her.

"The hell?" The henchmen looked at the papers and then back to her. "So you think you're the new guy in charge? Well fuck you-" His words cut off when she disappeared and reappeared behind him, a sharp pain now in his neck. He looked down to see the tip of an umbrella sticking all the way through. She pulled the umbrella back to the sound of blood gurgling in the man's throat.

She calmly picked up the clipboard and handed it to henchman number two, waiting to see how smart he was.

"Uh… Yes sir! I mean, ma'am!" She gestured for him and his remaining buddy to go and they did just that, dashing away as soon as they had the chance.

With that taken out of the way, Neo once again teleported, now to a secret hideout where Roman and his boss were set to meet. Twirling the cane in one hand and her umbrella in the other, she waited patiently for them to arrive.

"So. You're his fillin then?" The voice made Neo snap around and nod. "And why exactly did he choose you of all people." At that, Neo teleported right in front of the woman, cane pointed at her neck. The woman laughed and with a flaming hand took the end of the cane, pointing it back down to the ground. "Nicely done. You'll do. Now what is it you want in reward?" Expecting this question, Neo pulled out a single piece of paper that she had filled out earlier.

'I kill the blond.'

* * *

Adam Taurus' eyes grew wide as he watched over the security feed at the dockyard. Initially, he had wanted to see more about this man that was responsible for taking out twenty seven of hi soldiers as well as that bastard Torchwick, but instead he got a welcome surprise.

"Blake… I've finally found you."

* * *

 **Lots to cover, let's go through in order.**

 **Pyrrha and Jaune had a bit of a falling out.**

 **Yang's still unsure of Jaune and his relationship with Ruby.**

 **Blake and Weiss had a bit of a falling out, but we saw how that ended.**

 **We got some more confrontations between Weiss and Yang.**

 **Jaune's thinking doesn't make too much sense, but it's not supposed to. He's super out of it and trying to justify his decision to not keep things the same. He says that it's what fate wants, but it's really just one step closer to him snapping and changing everything.**

 **A lot of forgiveness this chapter, maybe I was in a forgiving mood while writing it.**

 **Neo's now the big man, or woman, on campus.**

 **If you thought Blake's arc was over because she and Weiss made up, you were dead wrong.**

 **Last time I said I would explain Cinder's plan, so here it is:**

 **Since Jaune is their main concern, the plan focuses on him. They set fire to the town and launch a Grimm attack. Emerald disguised as a villager wakes up Jaune before anybody and sends him out to fight. Since Jaune just woke up, he doesn't recognize her. When he leaves, they set fire to the inn the heros are staying at, so chaos is caused. In that chaos, Cinder's forces manage to steal Weiss Rapier, which they coat in blood, Rens guns, which they burn, and Ruby's scythe and cloak, which they don't do anything to. When Jaune drops his shield, they show it to his friends so they won't go looking for him. It doesn't work.**

 **The reason they don't just outright attack everybody is because their aura would allow them to wake up before their enemies could kill them.**

 **Now onto reviews for both previous chapter 10s.**

 **As you can tell, I've started doing longer chapters, but I'll be taking a small break to work on other things since this is the end of an arc.**

 **Did someone say rage mode Jaune? For that matter, did someone say 'fuck Fate' Jaune? Because I think that's ridiculous. Like that would ever happen.**

 **I already explained why I think it's weird that Yang would** **not** **be protective.**

 **I have no idea what 'Neji' is.**

 **Thank you all for the support.**

 **And that's about it. Everything else I responded to directly I believe.**

 **Helpful criticism welcome, your awesome reviews appreciated, and until next time,**

 **-RMV**


	12. A New Routine

Today was one of the rare days where Weiss and Blake sat at the lunch table with Yang an Ruby. Even rarer, was the fact that they weren't fighting. It happened to by Weiss' idea, most shocking of all. While RWBY's team unity was in the gutter, Weiss had insisted that they at least show off the guise of unity to the exchange students coming to Beacon. Jaune remembered a time when they didn't have to pretend to be friends or pretend to care about each other. But that time also had the deaths of millions of innocents, not to mention it's possibility was long gone by now.

As he watched Nora chuck food into Yang's mouth, he frowned slightly. These past days where he didn't have to let his ass get kicked or act awkward had been some of the greatest he had ever experienced. Seeing his friends young and vibrant again, while actually being able to talk to them like a normal person, was a dream come true. Literally. When Jaune wasn't having nightmares, he used to frequently dream of a time after Salem where they could all live happily ever after. But there was one person who seemed to be against that dream. Yang.

As much as he seemed like it, Jaune wasn't an idiot. He may not have been very good at reading people, but during his time trying to organize the people against the grimm, basically politics, he had gotten very good at sensing passive aggressiveness. Out of everyone, it was only Yang that did not like him. Blake acted slightly weird around him, but it didn't seem like anything bad, so he ignored it. Yang, on the other hand, had a clear disdain for him every since he started training Ruby. Sensing passive aggressiveness was good and all, but it didn't take him far when he had absolutely no idea why she was so mad.

She was fighting with Weiss a lot as well, made evident by her wicked grin as she pointed for Nora to throw a pie at the heiress in question. He knew that they had originally started fighting because of Weiss' insulting of Ruby, but Weiss and Ruby, while still not friends, had actually started to get along better, while Weiss and Yang's problem just spiralled off into it's own thing. Well, if it was any consultation, Weiss would have been hit with the pie regardless of whether or not they were friends.

Seconds after the pie hit, someone in the lunchroom shouted 'food fight' and everybody went crazy. Even the second time around, Jaune could barely comprehend how fast everything got out of hand. The majority of the students, the sensible ones, ran out of the cafeteria, while Nora somehow managed to stack a bunch of tables on top of each other in the same amount of time. She sat herself on the highest one and laughed maniacally, pointing at Team RWBY, who had ended up on the opposite side of the room.

"Bring me their heads, in the name of your queen!" Nora shouted, while at the same time Ruby stood up on a table.

"Your reign of terror will end here! Attack!" In unison, teams RWBY and JNPR rushed each other.

Jaune picked up an impossibly hard breadstick as Yang, with turkeys on her fists, was the first to engage him. He dodged her first volley of punches, moving to the side in order to get past her defenses. She too, rotated and blocked the strike, nearly managing to punch his head in the process.

Next to him, Pyrrha and Blake went back and forth through an impossibly complex dance, culminating in Blake breaking both her food weapons, and Pyrrha forcing her back to the entrance. Just when she thought it was all over, however, Ruby came sliding in on a tray that Pyrrha was unable to dodge. Using her semblance, she blasted Ruby back towards Weiss, who squirted ketchup in Pyrrha's face, followed by a watermelon to the stomach.

Together, the wearers of the combat skirt traded blows with Ren and Nora, while Blake traded places with Yang to fight Jaune. Out of the corner of his eye, Jaune was able to witness Yang pickup a pie with yet another wicked grin and launched it towards the four combats, where it just so happened to land of Weiss. Again.

For a moment everyone stopped and stared, Yang laughing to herself as Weiss got visibly more angry. Nora's eyes lit up, and she yelled to everyone in the lunchroom.

"Betrayal!" With her watermelon hamer that she had crafted at some point, she reeled back and smashed Ren on the back of the head, sending him flying. Weiss ran for Yang armed with a swordfish, and Jaune and Blake went back to back, seeing Ruby and Pyrrha approach together. It seemed they now had new teams.

Jaune had been expecting Pyrrha's attack for a while now, ever since he stopped hiding his true strength, Pyrrha had jumped on any chance she could to spar with him. While this constant sparring wasn't able to bring them as close as they were when they trained together, it did help to heal the split Jaune had caused between them from his lying. He blocked a strike and jumped away from the next one, Blake did the same thing, and Pyrrha ended up smashing Ruby to the side of the room. Blake and Jaune readied themselves for the incoming fight, but it was cut short by both Weiss and Ren being thrown into his partner, courtesy of Yang and Nora.

The epic battle between the pairs was unable to proceed, as in that moment Ms. Goodwitch bursted into the scene, using her semblance to put everything back in it's place around them. With an intense glare, she gave a one liner.

"Children… Do not play with your food." Jaune couldn't keep a straight face, bursting out laughing. Soon, everyone else started laughing with him.

When was the last time he had actually enjoyed himself like this? When was the last time he had well and truly laughed like this? Definitely not since he got to Beacon, and the previous timeline had a complete lack of humor once everything started going bad.

The world he previously came from had been horrible. Now he was back to stop it. Well, no, not him. Ruby was going to stop it. She is the hero and under his training, she will save the world before it even needs saving.

Hopefully.

* * *

Emerald watched as the White Fang unloaded a bullhead with dust. There was just so much of it, the entire warehouse was packed. As much as she hated to admit it, this 'Neo' girl seemed to have learned from the best and then some. But that was the problem, Cinder was starting to like the bitch, and Emerald couldn't have that.

She tried to make the girl look bad by tying up some loose ends in regards to the White Fang, a man by the name of Tukson, but when they went to his book store, they found him already dead. Emerald considered calling in a robbery prematurely, but thought against it. Neo's jobs helped Cinder, and her setbacks hindered Cinder. Hindering Cinder was something to avoid at all costs.

"Some good work you've been doing." Emerald commented to the multi-colored girl looking over some mission papers. Neo tipped her hat at her and Mercury, ignoring them. "Definitely a better job than Roman did." The green haired woman's jab to get a rise from the short statured danger worked halfway. Neo tensed up, before nodding her head in agreement. Emerald sneered.

"I'll say." Mercury agreed, not having any problem with Neo, but probably trying to impress Emerald to get her her pants. "I mean, Roman was so bad he got killed by a first year Beacon student!" The pencil Neo was using to write snapped and she disappeared then reappeared with a sharpened one.

"You think you're so tough with that teleportation semblance, don't you? Well I bet you can't even use those weapons you arm yourself with." Emerald insulted. Before the new head gangster could respond, another voice from behind them interrupted.

"Emerald, stop slandering our partner. Thank you, Neo. At least one person around here can maintain their professionalism." Cinder commanded the three to stop fighting as she descended onto the scene. Neo smiled and gave a polite bow, looking to Emerald with amusement in her eyes. Emerald's fists curled.

"But-"

"I don't want to hear your excuses, Emerald. Didn't I instruct the both of you to keep your hands clean while in Vale?" Emerald was confused by her mistress' question.

"Yes, and we haven't killed anyone." Cinder shook her head.

"But you went to. You went to that bookstore with the purpose of killing the deserter even though that was directly against my orders. Had Neo not already acted, you both would have been disobeying me. You should thank her that I'm not punishing you." Emerald's eyes grew wide along with Neo's wicked smile.

"How-"

"I am always watching, my dear. Never assume otherwise." Cinder cut her subordinate off and turned to the ice cream flavored girl. "We move to phase two, no more robberies necessary. I'll send you coordinates and you'll have the White Fang clear this building out. Send all of the dust you have gathered to the location. Got it?" Neo nodded, showing the woman of flames the list of what she had ordered. Said woman smiled. "If only my other partners were like you… I assume our deal stays the same?" Neo's eyes hardened and she stared with intensity. "Yes, yes. 'You kill the blond.'"

Not if Emerald killed her first.

* * *

Jaune ducked backwards as Crescent Rose flew right over his face, just barely missing the tip of his nose. By the time he reoriented himself, he had to dodge to the left, yet another near miss.

"Faster." He commanded to the blur dashing around him. "I know you can go faster." The blur acknowledged this and a whirlwind began to form, levitating some dirt and dust right off of the ground. Jaune seemed completely unaffected. "Don't be afraid to hurt me, I can handle it."

A sniper bullet came out of the whirlwind, only to be deflected by Jaune's shield. Then there was another, and another. Eventually a whole barrage started to surround him, but none met their target.

"Be less predictable!" Jaune shouted to the wind, still dodging the endless stream of bullets.

"What do you mean, 'less predictable?'" The wind shouted back. In response, he stopped his bullet deflecting to reel back and chuck his shield into the whirlwind. It connected with Ruby and winds surrounding his dissipated.

"If you run in a circle, it's pretty easy to know where you're going next." Jaune clarified, offering a hand to help Ruby up. She took it and handed him his shield, pouting.

"Well, it only didn't work on you because you're some god at fighting all of a sudden." He shook his head. He only did so well because he had trained with her for years, and after those years, patterns start to form. It was unfair, really, that he knew the evolution of her fighting style before she did. But if she thought it was tough now, she definitely wouldn't be ready for Cinder, much less Salem. And he told her as much.

"I'm no god, I've just scene your style before. Still, even against someone who hasn't fought you before, you should get into the habit of being unpredictable. Your best strength is that you have the speed advantage over almost everyone, you need to use that to keep the opponents on their toes. Better yet, attack before the opponent even realizes you're going to and then be gone before they can see who hit them-" He paused a moment to dodge the sudden attack from Ruby who seemed even more upset after she missed.

"Really?" She complained about his above average reflexes. He gave her a smile.

"That was good, against anyone else you would have caught them off guard. Well, aside from Blake, maybe. Though, it probably wasn't a good idea to attack the person explaining what moves you should use with that same move-" Pause and dodge, simple really. "You'll have to do better than that, Ruby."

And so, the fight became what it was previously, Ruby trying to hit Jaune. This time, however, she seemed to be taking his advice to heart. Now she would do fake outs, side swipes, and everything in between, never staying in his attack area for more than a second. That was the first thing he hammered out of her system during their training. If she stayed in his range for more than a second, he would be sure to give her a taste of the broadside of his blade. It was a good thing she learned fast, because anymore bruises and Yang would likely flip.

Ruby needed to get stronger faster, if she ever hoped to defeat Salem before the fall of Beacon. And he was the only one who could help her there. Jaune suddenly wished Ren was here instead of him, a he turned out to be great teacher of upcoming hunters after dealing with Nora for so many years.

Speaking of which, he should talk to those two more.

* * *

"…"

"…"

"…" A page could be heard turning.

"Grr…" Blake growled quietly in frustration.

"What is it?" Blake looked up from her notebook to see Weiss giving her a face of concern.

"Oh, nothing, sorry."

"It's fine."

"…"

"…"

"… Doesn't make any sense…" The not so secret faunus muttered. 'Not so secret' because she had decided to tell the rest of her team, as well as Team JNPR, that she was a cat faunus. As expected, they all took it well, with the only standouts being Ruby and Nora, who asked to touch her cat ears. She decided to keep the fact that she was part of the White Fang to just her, Weiss, and Jaune for safety reason. It wasn't that she didn't trust Nora, but that girl really couldn't keep a secret.

Speaking of Jaune, whatever problems he might have had with her before seemingly vanished after the incident at the dockyard. In fact, he seemed to actually want to be her friend! Blake just couldn't wrap her mind around it. Had she somehow made up for whatever crime she may have committed against him while at the dockyard? And if that was the case, should she even bring it up, or just leave the subject be? Her curiosity was starting to get the best of her in terms of how he knew about her past. Everything seemed fine and dandy now, but who knows if he'd pull a full one eighty like he seemed to do after murdering twenty seven White Fang members.

"What-" Weiss was probably going to ask 'what didn't make sense,' but she was cut off by the sound of their mutual monkey faunus acquaintance.

"Sup losers." Blake grunted a hello, while Weiss actually put in the effort to glance up from her reading.

"Hello Su- Oh. Who is this?" Hearing this, Blake had to look up at what could possible make Weiss, the heiress to the Schnee Dust Company, pause. And it was… A guy. Just… A guy. Nothing special, aside from blue hair which seemed dyed. Blake looked to her friend to see Weiss practically memorized by this guy's smile. Well, everyone has a type. Some liked tall guys, some liked strong guys, and some liked guys with blue hair… For some reason…

"This is my old friend and teammate, Neptune." Sun introduced. The man gave a big smile and walked towards Weiss.

"Sun's told me about you, Blake, but I'd love to hear your name, snow angel." He was certainly confident, Blake could give him that. But she doubted the 'snow angel' comment would go over well. To her shock though, the heiress actually blushed!

"I'm Weiss. Where are you from?" While Weiss and Neptune continued their flirting, Sun craned over Blake's shoulder to see in her notebook.

"So whatcha writing there? Something productive?" Blake instantly snapped the book shut, remembering why she wanted to be in the library to begin with. The dorm room meant Yang, and that meant zero work done. She was being more pestering than usual as of late. And not in a 'I was worried about you' way, like Weiss.

"Not any more." The cat faunus picked up her belongings and walked away with determination. It was rude, yes. It probably hurt Sun's feelings, yes. But it was necessary. She had work to do and the White Fang weren't going to catch themselves.

* * *

If she want in the library, then Blake was usually in the courtyard. And as expected, that was where the ice queen found her faunus friend.

Unlike the rest of Beacon, the courtyard was decorated in greenery and flowers. A few benches faced the fountain in the middle, providing a safe haven for all the nature lovers of the school. Weiss didn't count herself in that category, yet even she appreciated the occasional change of scenery. Blake always like it, but there was no enjoyment of nature this time.

Weiss found Blake pouring over her scroll, checking on the police reports then scribbling them into her journal. The heiress was not oblivious to what the black clad warrior was doing, but she had waiting for invitation to help before making her worry known. Obviously, that never came to be.

"Blake…" Weiss started off but was quickly dismissed.

"Not right now. I have important stuff to do."

"Like trying to stop the White Fang, right?" Blake's eyes shot up, full of something akin to guilt. "I'm not stupid Blake, I have eyes." Blake's expression hardened.

"I'm not going to stop."

"I don't want you to."

"If I don't do anything who- Wait, what?" Weiss almost laughed at her surprise, but contained herself.

"I don't want you to stop. The White Fang have hurt me just as much as you, remember?" Weiss' tone became accusatory. Blake may not have deserved it, but it was what she needed to hear.

"Yes, of course, I-"

"So then you realize that I want to help you in your endeavour, right?"

"I-"

"Let me help you Blake. Let me be your friend." Blake nodded.

"You're right, I'm sorry. I would appreciate your help." Weiss smiled.

"Well that was easy." She sat down next to her friend. "Now, what to we got so far?"

* * *

"Race you to the dorms! Ready go!" Ruby challenged Jaune on their way back from the training room. They had gotten distracted and ended up working out for the rest of the day. When they finally realized their error, it was already dark out.

"But our rooms are only around the corner, and you should watch out for-" He watched as she rounded the bend at breakneck speeds, only to hit directly into someone and getting knocked back. "Yeah, that." He jogged over to see if everyone was okay and his blood ran cold.

Mint green hair that stood out in a crowd, orange eyes that were quite literally burned into his soul, and Mercury. Jaune was able to recognize them from a mile away, probably better than he could spot his friends at the same distance. He helped Ruby up and subconsciously placed her slightly behind himself.

"Sorry! Are you okay?" Emerald smirked at Ruby's naivety, and Jaune almost growled. "I'm Ruby, by the way."

"I'm fine. My name is Emerald."

"Mercury." The metal legged man nodded his greetings with the same sinister smile that Ruby was completely unaware of.

"I'm Cinder." The bitch of the devil herself rounded out the greetings. "We're transfer students from Haven."

"Ooo! So you're here for the tournament! Is-" Jaune cut Ruby off before she could get personal with them.

"Exchange students have their own dormitory, not in this building." Mercury raised an eyebrow at his curt tone.

"We got a little lost. Sorry." He didn't sound sorry in the slightest. "Who are you again?" Jaune ignored his question.

"It's getting late. You should really be heading back."

"You're building is just… East of here." Ruby added helpfully. Emerald and Mercury pushed past them while Cinder stood there for a bit more. Perhaps curious of Jaune's sudden standoffish nature, or maybe something else entirely. You could never know with her.

"Maybe we'll see you around." She stated finally, taking her leave.

"Yeah." Jaune called after her. "We should spar sometime. I have a feeling it would be an interesting fight." She stopped in her tracks and turned, whatever shock she might have had disguised by a complex mask of emotions.

"Maybe one day, but not today." Oh, what a day that would be.

* * *

"Sir?" Adam Taurus stood from his seat and brushed himself off. For a few days now, he hadn't been able to take his eyes off that footage. Seeing Blake after all this time… He could barely believe it unless he was staring right at it.

"Report, soldier." The soldier nodded nervously and recalled the results of his mission.

"The faunus Blake Belladonna was with is named Sun Wukong. He has been taken to jail multiple times for petty theft and holds no love for the White Fang. He-"

"What's his relationship with Blake?" Adam cut off the soldier. They always rattled on after their first mission, never quite realizing what the important things to say were. This wasn't much of a problem for Adam, as he didn't usually get direct reports from the newbies, but this was a special case.

"He claims to be quite close to Ms. Belladonna. He…"

"What?" The soldier flinched at Adam's harsh tone.

"He claims to be, and I quote, 'This close to getting in her pants.'" Along with the quote, the newbie added a pinching gesture. Adam went deadly still and the newly minted soldier looked to be about to pass out from fear.

After a minute, an eternity to the soldier, Adam smiled viciously.

"I know exactly how to proceed… Dismissed soldier. You have done the White Fang proud."

* * *

 **Fuck Fate! Let's do things our own way!**

 **Not much in terms of reviews last chapter, but that's fine. For all those who didn't like Jaune's mantra, that has all but vanished now, so feel free to celebrate. For all those who** **did** **like his mantra, I'm sorry to all three of you.**

 **Just some setup this chapter, nothing special.**

 **I wanted to get this chapter out before next week because when next week hits I'm going to be supremely busy with school and extracurricular stuff. I just want to warn you that there won't be an update for quite some time, as the new status quo calls for larger chapters.**

 **I'll do my best to give you guys what you want, and I thank you for all your kind support.**

 **Helpful criticism welcome, your awesome reviews appreciated, and until next time,**

 **-RMV**


	13. Dysfunctional Heroes Part One

_This is Neo-_

No. It needed to sound like her saying the words. Being introduced and then not saying anything would make her look weak, and she'd never forgive herself for doing that.

She looked to the speech next to her paper, the one Roman was halfway done writing before his… Demise. He was always so prepared, especially for his line of work. Back up plans upon back up plans, research upon research, if there was a possible situation, Roman would know exactly what to say in it. Except the one that led to his death, obviously.

Neo's pencil broke and she plucked a new one out of the metal basket in front of her. If Roman was here, he would have insisted on doing the speech himself, not allowing anyone else to. He'd be appalled that she was having someone read her speech for her, despite the disability. If Roman was alive…

But he wasn't. So Neo would just have to do things her way.

 _Hello there, I am Neopolitan Torchwick. Now, you may be thinking, 'why is a_ _human_ _up there giving us Faunus a lecture?' Well-_

* * *

Jaune held his ground as his shield was mercilessly thrashed upon. Even while keeping Pyrrha's spear occupied, Jaune was unable to get past her defenses. Unexpectedly, she ducked and threw a sweeping kick, knocking Jaune to the ground, her blade leveled at his throat. This was how their non-semblance battles always went. Pyrrha and he would be close in skill, but she would always manage to barely edge him out. Most people would be frustrated from being defeated over and over again by the same enemy, but Jaune was used to it. Pyrrha held out a hand a pulled him up.

"You got me again." Jaune conceded with honor. After all the crap he went through in Beacon, and all the more stuff outside of it, he knew not to complain at the outcome of the fight. As long as he got better, he'd become a better teacher for Ruby, and that was the only thing that mattered.

"You keep forgetting to guard your lower and upper body." Pyrrha pointed out for the third time. It was always that or to get a ranged weapon. Speaking of which, he really needed to make that crossbow modification to his shield soon.

"I know, I know. I'm just not used to people using both. You'd be surprised how many fighters only focused on one." Yang, Ruby, Weiss, and Mercury all came to mind. The latter of the four being especially annoying. Blake was the exception of RWBY, perhaps because of her a White Fang origins. He wasn't really sure.

"You'll get the hang of it eventually." He frowned. 'Eventually' might not be soon enough. Cinder was in the school already, though that might have been the same as last time with him now noticing. And then there was that mysterious figure that teleported Roman away. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't find anything about her in any criminal database. "Are you okay, Jaune?" Jaune ignored his partner for the moment to focus back on the task at hand, Ruby. Her training was progressing at a fair rate, but it wasn't good enough. He simply wasn't physically able to teach her everything she needed to know in the time allotted, and he didn't even know how much time that was anymore! Suddenly, inspiration struck him.

"Hey Pyrrha…"

"Yes?"

"Would you be willing to train Ruby with me?" Pyrrha's eyes widened and she blushed. Apparently something was bothering her, though Jaune had no idea what it could be.

"Train Ruby with you? But I thought that it was… Well… Uhh…"

"What?"

"A… Private thing." Pyrrha's blush deepened and she looked away. Jaune furrowed his brow in confusion, before nodding in understanding. She must have been worried that Ruby wouldn't like having another teacher besides him.

"Oh! Don't worry, Ruby won't mind. She thinks you're great, and would love to learn from you." To be honest, Jaune was making that up, but he didn't see why it wouldn't be true. Pyrrha somehow managed to blush even more, her face akin to a tomato.

"She- She does…?"

"Yeah. But, you don't have to if you don't want to."

"No no no!" Pyrrha was quick to respond. "I do, but I'd like to get to know you a little better first."

"What do you mean?"

"I was thinking… We could go to the Emerald Forest on Friday and talk about our lives while killing some Grimm." Jaune was about to ask why they would need to do that, but stopped himself before he did something stupid. He had gone into 'friend mode,' as he called it, when he forgot about the differences he might have with one of his team members because of the timelines. He found himself doing it a lot with Ren and Nora, though neither seemed to mind.

"Sure. I'm free Friday. We can make a day out of it." His relationship with Pyrrha had gotten weird ever since she effectively 'broke up' with him. They weren't dating, but she had basically resigned herself to not being Jaune's partner.

After the dockyard incident, they had gotten better by sparring with each other, but neither of them had tried to fill the gap they made. Friday was a time as any, he supposed.

"Great. And, uhh… I'll come back to you on that… Training Ruby thing."

"No rush, I don't want you to feel pressured." While he did want her help, he really didn't want to force her into something she didn't want to do. Pyrrha seemed to be having an extra hard time deciding, as her face had gone red once more.

* * *

Weiss took a deep breath. She had been mentally preparing herself all night for this day. The day when she finally bridged the gap, the day her dream became achievable again. By the time she worked up the courage to do so in the morning, they already had to leave for classes. Doing it any time between then and after classes would have simply been inappropriate and rude to the teacher, so she held her tongue. Finally though, Team RWBY all went back to the dorms to change out of their school clothes.

"Uhh… R- Ruby, Yang?" She hated how her voice quivered, but it couldn't be helped.

"Yeah, Weiss?" Ruby responded politely. Yang only answered with a noncommittal, yet somehow threatening, grunt while throwing on a shirt.

"I… I wanted to say… I wanted to say…" Why were the words so hard to say? It was so simple, but she just couldn't do it. Yang turned around towards her.

"Spit it out, Icequeen." Yang prodded. Weiss took yet another deep breath and tried to calm her nerves. It was now or never. She needed to do this.

"I wanted to say I'm sorry. Sorry for being such a, well, bitch." Instantly, Ruby's eyes widened.

"Really?!" The pure joy in Ruby's voice only served to make Weiss feel even more guilty.

"Yes. I treated you unfairly in the beginning of the year only because you became leader, and I'm sorry. I was jealous and petty. I just want to bury the hatchet, and hopefully become closer as a team."

"So does that mean we're friends now?" Ruby asked, the joy only seeming to grow.

"Well, I wouldn't go that far, but I think we could be. Someday. Oof!" All the air was ripped from Weiss' lungs when Ruby brought her into a hug. It was way too tight and she felt uncomfortable being touched, but there was no way Weiss was gonna let her pride ruin this moment. Even still, Weiss did gain a small smile.

"This is great! You have no idea how long I've been waiting for this moment! Jaune was right. Yang! Isn't this fantastic?" Ruby let go of the heiress, and everyone turned to Yang. Even Blake, who was pretending to read a book while secretly watching out for her white haired friend.

"Apology not accept." The small smile died in an instant.

"Wha-?" Weiss could barely choke out the word. Whether despair or rage, something was caught in her throat.

"I said that I don't accept your apology. Don't you have ears?" The words were harsh to the ears, as Yang's always were.

"But, Yang… She said she was sorry." Ruby tried to bargain with her older sister, but Yang would have none of it.

"You might forgive this bitch for what she's done. But I don't." She stopped addressing Ruby and looked straight at Weiss, getting right in her face and poking her small chest. "I don't care that you said all those mean things about Ruby. Hell, some of them even agree with! She's not ready to be a leader, but that's not why I'm not forgiving you. I'm not forgiving you because you hurt Ruby. And no one is ever allowed to get away with that. Make all the peace with Ruby you want, but I will never accept you." With that, Yang stormed off to who knows where, leaving her three teammates in silence.

Weiss looked to Ruby to see that she had a frown on her face. Not being able to properly understand her leader's expressions, she watched as Ruby walked out of the room and in the opposite direction. There was silence for a few minutes more, until Blake finally spoke.

"You did the right thing. It's Yang who's in the wrong here." The faunus tried to comfort her friend, but Weiss just shook her head.

"Whatever. I don't want to talk about it… Let's just go over the plan for tonight and forget about all that." Blake, thankfully, complied.

* * *

Yang was in dangerous need of a way to burn off steam. Her hair was glowing as she walked down the halls, parting any groups in her wake with simply a glare of her red eyes. Who the hell did Weiss think she was trying to apologize? It was clearing just a plot to make Yang look like the bad guy and get Ruby on her side. The fact that nobody else realized that made Yang even angrier. Literally kicking down the doors to the main arena, every footstep made an indent on the ground.

"Nora! Fight me!" in the center of the arena sat both Ren and Nora, most likely just finishing up a match. Instantly, Nora was up and ready to go.

"Bring it on-"

"No." The single word from Ren came like a punch to the gut. So much so, that her semblance shut off.

"Huh?" That was all Yang could think to say. Nora also looked to him, confused.

"Every time you're ever angry, you'll come to take it out on Nora because she's tough and won't say no to fighting you, no matter how strong you are at the time. I won't allow you to use her like that any longer. Go take out your anger somewhere else."

"You take stop me from having a friendly spar with a fellow student." Yang argued. Ren agreed with her point.

"No, I can't. But that's not what's happening here. The amount of wounds I've had to treat has doubled ever since you started using her like this. She isn't just some extra active dummy you can punch whenever you're unreasonably upset by Weiss or Jaune. Speaking of which, which one was it this time? Probably Weiss, since Jaune is out with Pyrrha." Ren's words were sharp, serving as fuel to reignite Yang's fire.

"Unreasonable?!" She cried in outrage.

"Yes, unreasonable. Are you deaf?" Yang's eyes went red yet again, but Ren didn't back down. "So what? You're going to cripple me, or are you just going to kill me? Either way, it won't end nicely for you, should you even manage to beat me." Yang growled, but acknowledged his points. "Just go away. And if I ever hear of you abusing Nora again, I'll end you." At that, he stomped off, Nora at his heels. Clearly, he had been meaning to say that for a while now. She'd never expected it from him, he quiet one.

Whatever. She didn't need to fight Nora. It was about time she visited Vale anyhow, perhaps she could go to that nice bar that she had gone to right before Beacon. Yeah, that sounded good.

* * *

"I don't like this idea." Weiss decided. Blake groaned. That had been the third plan she had thought of, and the third time it had been shot down. Every single time, Weiss didn't like the idea of Blake going to the White Fang meeting alone, and every time, Blake made that part of the plan. They were at a stand still. "Think of something less suicidal, and maybe we can use it."

"It's not suicidal. If you were waiting near the bakery on fourth street, you could respond to any distress within minutes!" They had taken the free time in the dorm given to them to plot. Unfortunately, the plotting wasn't going very well.

"Minutes isn't good enough. Especially when you have nobody with you. I don't understand why you let me ask Jaune to come with us." At this, Blake stiffened. She didn't know why, but she got the sneaking suspicion that Jaune wouldn't take her trying to infiltrate a White Fang meeting well.

"No Jaune." Blake put down the hammer once more.

"Then let me come. We'll get some… Animal stuff… And I can wear that." Weiss struggled to find the proper words and fell flat. Blake shook her head to that as well.

"The White Fang aren't stupid. You can't just 'pretend' to be a Faunus. The whole point of the rally is to where you're featured with pride. If you aren't doing that, they get suspicious. I should know."

"Well, then we can't proceed. This operation is already risky enough with only two people, even more so when you don't have any proper back up."

"Did somebody say 'back up?'" Blake jumped and definitely didn't make a cat-like screech, while the heiress yelped. They both instantly turned to their dorm window to see Sun sitting there.

"How did you get up here?" Weiss asked, completely baffled to the methods of the open shirt wearing monkey Faunus.

"I climbed up. Kind of a thing I do a lot. But nevermind that, I want in on this plan of yours." He hopped into the room and tried to lean on one of the beds to look cool, before realizing how unstable it was and settling for a crossed arms pose instead.

"How much did you hear?" Blake interrogated. The cat Faunus was unsure of whether or not to include Sun in their plan. Having an extra pair of hands was good, but Sun didn't seem to be the most… 'Stealthy' of sorts.

"Enough to know that Weiss won't let you do this unless you have someone accompany you to the meeting, which is exact what I can provide."

"Actually-" Weiss went to say something, probably deny Sun's help, when the potential cohort interrupted.

"Oh, and did I mention? Neptune's here too. He can be with Weiss while me and Blake go all 'ninja' if the White Fang." As soon as Sun said this, Neptune poked his blue haired head in.

"Hey there, Snow Angel, and Blake." Neptune acknowledged the two of them before looking down. "Can I come in? I'm pretty high up here." Without waiting for an answer, Sun pulled his best friend inside.

"So. Can we help?" Sun asked finally. Blake couldn't even get out a word before Weiss added her two cents.

"Yes." Sun smirked knowingly. Blake could still not understand why Weiss was so obsessed with Neptune though.

"Well, alright then!" Sun clapped his hands and pulled out a map. "Now for more important business. Weiss and Neptune should definitely watch from the top of this building here to provide ample support should anything go wrong during the rally." Blake gave him a look.

"One, how are they supposed to get up there if the building is private? And two, why do you know where the White Fang meeting is? I thought you said you were only able to hear Weiss deny my plan." The cat faunus pointed out flaws in the monkey faunus' logic, but to no avail.

"One, the building next to that one is abandoned, so they can scale that then go across using Weiss' semblance. And two, I never said exactly how long I was listening for."

"So it'll just be me and Neptune on the rooftop, alone for possibly hours?" Weiss clarified. Sun nodded. "Great. The plan is a go, let's move out guys." In running to the next bullhead going into Vale, she almost took Neptune's arm out of its socket.

* * *

Being the Headmaster of Beacon Academy certainly had its ups and downs, and usually, they came in tandem. For example, he could have all the coffee he ever needed, but he'd have to fill out all the paperwork. But, if one was smart like him, they would hire someone like Glynda, effectively ridding themselves of the downside. And that's what Ozpin's whole life seemed to degrade into, trying to turn downs into ups.

Some of the more notable downs, Ironwood trying to push his robot army onto Vale, the Fall Maiden that he had in his basement, and Salem simply existing. To say his life was stressful was an understatement, and with time it only seemed to get worse.

No matter what he did, no matter what cunning plan he tried to implement, he'd always end up with more downs to try and solve once more. Like a hydra growing two heads from one stump, his problems never ceased to show themselves. And anytime he thought he had finally gotten the upper hand, he was shown to be utterly wrong. For instance, Ruby Rose. Silver eyes and a competent Huntress. Combined with her innate desire to help everyone, any team she led would see to making the world a better place, even more so if Ozpin made her the Fall Maiden. Then her team completely split in half, she almost completely lost confidence in her abilities, and seemed to rely on Jaune Arc to get her through the days more than her own self. Oh, and now she was having a row with her own sister. Fantastic.

Ozpin would do what he could to mend the situation, but he was only one man, trying to deal with teenage issues. He was out of his league. Speaking of, however, it was time to commence in some 'mending.'

"Hello there, Miss Rose." The student in question turned around in an instant, disengaging herself from the training dummies.

"Hi Professor Ozpin! What are you doing here?" She gestured around the near empty gym.

"Are you suggesting that I am too old to work out?" He teased, watching her face turn to horror.

"No no no! Of course not! I was just-"

"It was only a joke, Miss Rose. Don't fret about it." He smiled while taking a sip of coffee. Happiness didn't come as often as it should to Ozpin, and any momentary amusements were welcomed with open arms.

"Oh. So… How can I help you, then?" Ruby tried once again, being extra careful of her wording.

"I was merely walking about the school when I saw you and decided to see how you were doing. How has the second semester been going so far?"

"It's been… It's been good." She was clearly lying. "The classes have gotten a little tougher, but I'm managing."

"And your team?" She faltered.

"My friends are doing great. Jaune's been really helping me out with my fighting style. Turns out he's really good."

"And your team?" Ozpin pushed once again. She shifted uncomfortably.

"I… Umm…"

"It's okay, Miss Rose. Anything we talk about won't be discussed anywhere else." He could mark the single second when the dam broke. Her happy facade disappeared in an instant.

"I don't even know where to begin."

"Just go in order, RWBY." Ruby steeled herself, taking a deep breath.

"Weiss has been on my case since day one. She really wanted to be leader and was mad that I took her place. For a while, she was just bully."

"But then?"

"But then she apologized. Sometime after the incident with the dockyard, she stopped bullying me and we were neutral with each other. Only a few hours ago, she came up to Yang and I to say she was sorry."

"That doesn't sound bad." Ozpin noted.

"Yeah, but Weiss isn't the problem anymore."

"Continue on, then."

"I barely ever talk to Blake, period. She is really antisocial and from what I've seen, Weiss is her only friend. She's never been hurtful or anything, and I'm hoping that we can become closer now that Weiss is okay with me." Ozpin nodded. "Then… There's my sister."

"What's wrong there?"

"She won't accept Weiss' apology! She's always been stubborn and likes to finish her fights, but this time she has already won! Weiss was the one who took the risk, tried to build the bridge, and even then, Yang wouldn't allow it." She put her head in her hands. "I just can't help but feel like this is my fault." Ozpin raised an eyebrow to that.

"How so?"

"I'm the leader, I'm supposed to prevent these things from happening. And if they do happen, I'm supposed to fix them." Responsibility, the ultimate struggle. He knew exactly what to say about this.

"You know, I've always said that being a team leader isn't just a title, but a badge you wear-"

"Constantly. Yes, I've already gotten that advice. If I stay confident in myself, eventually people will come around to my side, and if not, that's how I fail. The problem is, Professor, I've already tried that. It isn't working." Whether Ruby meant to or not, her voice got a slight edge to it.

"Well, pardon me for saying, but you don't exactly sound confident." He argued. She just shook her head.

"That sort of thing tends to happen when your own sister questions your leadership skills…" Ozpin looked to the damaged leader and sighed. He should have known she wouldn't be able to handle the responsibility, she was too young. He tried to force part of the burden he carried onto her, and in the process, stripped her of her innocence. It was like looking in the mirror. A mirror he desperately wanted to shatter.

"Miss Rose, Ruby, I wish I could tell you that things get easier, that one day everything started coming up your way, but that simply isn't true. There will be battles you just can't win, and sometimes winning one only leads to more problems. I've made more mistakes in my life than any man on this planet, but with those mistakes comes purpose. The renewed vigor to try again and secede… It's not working, is it?" His impassioned speech died out when he failed to garner her attention fully.

"It's not, sorry Professor. I'll just… Head back to my dorm now." Ruby picked up her things and started to leave while Ozpin massaged his forehead. He barely got any sleep as it was without this weighing on his conscience.

"Wait." He called to her. She stopped and turned back to him. "There's a bakery on fourth street in Vale, they quite honestly make the best cookies in town. Go there and tell them to put it on Oz's tab. Stay there for as long as you'd like, even if you miss curfew, I won't take any disciplinary action."

"I don't know… I'm not really in the mood for cookies right now." His heart almost broke. Ruby Rose, not in the mood for cookies. Just much would he destroy before his time was up? Best not to think about that."

"Please, Miss Rose, from one leader to another. Take the night off. If not for yourself, then for me, for your friends who would worry about you." The air in the room was turning chokingly thick with resignation.

"If you say so, Professor."

* * *

 **It seems Jaune and Pyrrha are trying to become friends again, though I'm not sure what Pyrrha seems to be talking about… Ah… Oblivious Jaune is Best Jaune, isn't he?**

 **Weiss' apology has been a long time coming, and for any who spotted the mirror between that scene and Yang's, good on you. Asfor the sudden 'friendship' between Ruby and Weiss, it's not as clear cut as it seems, I promise you. It'll take more than a simple 'I'm sorry' to clear up the history between the two. Ruby was just happy that Weiss was feeling any remorse at all.**

 **Finally some proper characterization for Ruby. I've dropped hints about it, but I really wanted to focus in on how she feels about the whole team situation.**

 **I know it has been a while, but having to get back into my daily routine, along with making another story (New Game Plus, shameless plug) has really dragged my creativity through the mud. This was originally going to be combined with Chapter 14, but the task got out of hand, so Chapter 14 will come at a later date.**

 **Helpful criticism welcome, your awesome reviews appreciated, and until next time,**

 **-RMV**


	14. Dysfunctional Heroes Part Two

There was always a catharsis found in ripping apart a Beowolf. When you we beyond a certain level, you could cut through them like butter, barely breaking a sweat. Because of this, more advanced hunters would ignore Beowolves as not being worth their time. However, when they did pay attention, the natural Beowulf population could be decimated within the day. As such, by nightfall, Jaune and Pyrrha found themselves out of prey to hunt.

"So. How many did you get?" Jaune asked, cracking his joints from their stiffness. As the days went on he began to look more like his old self. He was starting to fill out with muscle as he had once before, and Crocea Mors fit in his hand better than ever. Having said that, Jaune couldn't feel less like how he was. Less stress, less emotional torment, he was actually enjoying his life! It was like how you always realized that you were wasting your youth after you grew old. But Jaune already grew old, and now that he was back he could enjoy life to the fullest.

Well, not the fullest. There was still the problems of Cinder and Salem hanging over his head, but it was close enough. Should Pyrrha help him with Ruby, things would get even better.

"Thirty four." Pyrrha replied after some mental counting. To her credit, she barely broke a sweat. She was as impressive as he remembered her to be. Still wasn't enough though. "How did you do?"

"Thirty seven." Jaune responded with a slight smile. She may have been the superior one to one fighter, but he still had years worth of experience on her in killing Grimm. In truth, it felt a little weird to be better than Pyrrha at anything. "It looks like I am the victor." He announced with a grandiose tone. She returned his cheer with ease.

"Congratulations. You have proven yourself to be my better." They stared at each other before bursting into laughter. Jaune wasn't sure what was so funny, but he laughed anyway because it simply felt good. Pyrrha was the first one to recollect herself. "Should we take a break?"

"Yeah. Why not? I'll find us somewhere to sit."

While they are not tired in the slightest, this had not been the first time Pyrrha wanted them to take a break. Jaune would find a fallen tree or create one, then would have a short chat. Usually, it would involve them talking about their family, or their pay, or something along those lines. Never, though, did they talk about school. It was just… Too awkward.

Jaune found it funny how much he was learning about her today. They were certainly close the last time around, but he hadn't ever really talked to her about her past. He knew who she was, he just didn't know why she was that way. And Jaune wasn't talking about her fame. Her home life, her extended family, all these things he had simply never known to ask about. Maybe once upon a time, they could have been together and he would have learned these things. In a world where Salem and Cinder didn't exist, maybe they would have had a family together. Of course, that world want a thing, and whatever sparks they may have had have long since faded.

"Why did you want to be a Hunter?" Pyrrha finally decided on a topic to discuss. This one was interesting. He knew that she was simply asking 'why did you come to Beacon' without mentioning the school, but that wasn't what made him think. It was the double answer he had, that she unknowing asked for every time they talked. Was he to tell her why he wanted to go to Beacon the first time around, or why he decided to stay at Beacon for the second. Usually he decided on a mix between the two, but his original reason was obsolete. He wasn't the hero.

"I… I have people that I want to protect. More than anything else. I couldn't protect them previously, and I'm hoping I can do better now." There was a pause in their conversation, silence. They both knew that he was leaving things out, that he was purposefully unspecific, but Pyrrha didn't comment. Jaune broke the silence. "How about you?"

"Well… I guess it was just assumed that I would be huntress because of my athletic talent. There was never really another option. It's like… It was destined that I would be a huntress." At the 'D' word, Jaune twitched a little. Ever since the dockyard, he felt the urge to check over his shoulder whenever someone said 'destiny' or 'Fate.' Definitely a habit he had to break out of. To his relief, Pyrrha didn't say a word about it.

"And if you weren't pressured a huntress? What would you have been? What would you want to be?" Jaune was unsure why he asked that question, it just felt right. Pyrrha mulled on his words.

"You know, I think I would still want to be a huntress. Yes, I was pressured to be one, but that doesn't mean I was forced to change my ways. I think that if I really was unhappy with being a huntress, I would have left long ago. Who would be able to stop me?"

"Huh. That makes sense…" For reasons unknown, Jaune now felt uncomfortable. He shifted in his own skin, the silence made him anxious. Jaune got up from his chair with a jolt. "How about we find something else to kill?" Without waiting for a response, Jaune speed walked out of the clearing.

Pyrrha was quick to follow, saying nothing. Jaune was grateful for this, however, it seemed her concern was becoming too much to hold in.

"Jaune… What's wrong?"

"Nothing." He responded almost immediately, batting away her question. He knew he was lying, yet he didn't know why.

"I know we've had some problems in the past, but please Jaune, please tell me what's wrong." This was a fine line that she was walking, one that would undoubtedly end with her falling into the abyss.

"It doesn't-" Before Jaune could once more dismiss his partner, he bumped into something when he wasn't paying attention. Getting up off the ground and actually looking where he was going, Jaune found himself staring at big ol' snake monster. "King Taijitu, watch out!"

Jumping out of the way of the initial strike, which lodged the White Grimm's fangs into the ground, and pulled out Crocea Mors. Without even giving the King Taijitu time to breath, Pyrrha had already pulled out her weapon and was stabbing into the exposed head. The free head, obviously enraged by Pyrrha's attack, shifted itself bare the brunt of the blows and attack Pyrrha itself. Unfortunately, this meant that Jaune could now freely jump onto the White Grimm, lodging his sword in one of its eyes.

The King Taijitu was in agony at this point, completely overwhelmed from the quickness and ferocity of each attack. It could barely even get a single hit in before it disappeared into dust. And just like that, the giant Grimm was slain in record time.

"That was tough." Jaune joked, surprised by how easily they handled the Grimm.

"I think we almost just died." Pyrrha added, making him snort.

"Yeah. For sure, no one has had a more taxing day today than us."

* * *

"So…" Neptune tried to fill the awkward silence on the top of the building. If he realized that their part of the mission would be like this, he wouldn't have went.

The walk up to the lookout spot was promising, filled with small talk and blushing. But when they finally made it to the top, Weiss switched to 'mission mode' and was now completely ignoring him. And if Neptune was unused to anything, it was being ignored.

"What? Did you see something?" Weiss turned over to him. There wasn't even a hint of shyness or sexual tension present in her face. It was actually bumming his out. But now that he had her attention, he was gonna use it.

"No, I just wanted to chat." He commented, adding his signature smile that was sure to make any girl weak in the knees.

"Oh. Okay." And with that, she had turned back around, scanning the horizon for trouble once more.

Neptune blinked, confused. Then he smelled his breath and became even more confused. If not his breath, what was possibly throwing him off his game today? As if sensing his struggles, the snow angel finally gave him mercy.

"What is it you want to talk about?" Weiss asked, not looking at him. An opening! Now he had to seize it.

"Uhh… I wanted to know a bit about you. What's your family like?" The two of them winced. What was he thinking, asking someone like Weiss Schnee about her family? In his panic, he had reverted back to 'Picking up Chicks, Rule One,' 'Ask about the family to make it seem like you care,' without remembering 'Rule One Subsection B,' 'Don't talk about family with people of any kind of fame.' Rookie mistake on his part.

"My family is nice…" Weiss started. Ugh, that confirmed it. These rich chicks always had daddy issues. They were still good for a 'One and Done,' but her long time use dropped dramatically. "What's the fighting style you use?"

Wow. It was so bad that she didn't even ask about his family. Less and less appealing by the second.

"Well, I-"

 _ **BOOM!**_

Vale was a big city. That boom could have come from anywhere. But Lady Luck wasn't on Neptune's side today, and it just so happened that smoke was now rising from the general area of the White Fang Meeting.

"Shit. What are we-" Neptune turned to Weiss to find that the white haired heiress was already gone. When he leaned over the side of the building, he was able to spot her using her glyphs to quickly make her way to Sun and Blake. "Wait!" He yelled in vain. "How am I supposed to get down!"

* * *

"Oooh Junior!" Yang sang as she busted open the doors to the bar. The entire place froze and the music stopped. "Did you miss me?" Instantly, everyone had a gun pulled on her.

"Wait, no, stop, stop!" The man in question ran through the ground of henchmen to her. "Don't shoot! What do you want blondie? Didn't I tell you never to come back here?"

"Good to see you too, old man." Yang greeted with a strained smile. She leaned in towards him until their faces were mere inches apart. "Listen, I've had a bad day, so if you just do your job and serve me a drink, I won't cause any trouble. However, should you choose not to do that… Well, I'd be more than happy to destroy this crappy establishment a second time." Juniors lips tightened to a thin line.

"Fine. Everyone put your guns down! We don't have any problems here!" He called out to the men, who put down their weapons to resume their usual business. Keeping eyes on her the entire time, he walked back to the counter.

She walked over with a taunting skip in her step and sat on one of the stools.

"One Strawberry Sunrise, please. And add something nice to it." With the tenseness of the situation slowly vanishing, Junior prepares her a drink. As an afterthought though, she added to her previous statements. "Also, if you ever call me 'blondie' again, I'll rip out your fucking spine."

He handed her the drink without a word and for a brief moment, the only sounds in the joint came from the music. She would say it was blissful, but it was mainly just boring. Before she could get up and get her dance on, then definitely not try and start a fight, Junior spoke.

"So what's the problem?" He asked, surprising Yang.

"Huh?"

"You said you had a bad day, why is that?"

"Small talk? I'm surprised, old man. I would have thought you wouldn't want to talk to me at all." He shook his head at her derogatory nickname.

"Better me than some poor guy you'll smack the shit out of, ruining my bar… Again." She nodded.

"Alright, that's fair. What is it you want to know?"

"Why are you having a bad day?"

"Rather personal question to start off with. Are you trying to get in my pants?" She smirked at him, but he remained unphased, raising an eyebrow. Conceding, Yang sighed. "Some bitch tried to apologize to me, and it got me worked up."

"And you didn't accept it, I'm guessing?"

"Absolutely not. She bullied my sister, made her feel like a horrible person. Who does she think she is to apologize? Does she really think it will solve all the problems she's caused just like that?"

"Maybe she just wanted to take the first step. How else can you begin to rebuild burnt bridges than getting rid of the old remains?" For one reason or another, this statement clicked in Yang's mind. Maybe it was because of the alcoholic drink, or maybe it was the setting she was in, but she felt a sort of connection with these words. And that connection made her feel… Bad inside, like she was just now realizing what a horrible person she was. In her moment of weakness, she reached out to the first person she could.

"Then… Does that mean that I'm in the wrong for rejecting her heartfelt apology? Am I… A bad person?" Junior opened his mouth to respond, then closed it. After two seconds to think, he opened his mouth to speak once more.

"No. You're in the right, and not a bad person."

"I- I'm not?" His answer shocked her, as if she was expecting to be called out.

"Of course not. She bullied your sister, right? Sure, if she bullied you, you could forgive her, but your sister? Your own flesh and blood? Now, she's messed with something personal, and an apology isn't nearly enough to fix that."

"Huh… That's what I've been saying." Whatever strange connection Yang had to the words Junior spoke meer seconds ago was now gone. Her moment of weakness vanished, replaced with a sense of confidence and self assurance. At the same time, a boom was heard in the distance, putting an end to their conversation. Yang remained unfazed while a decent amount of people went out to investigate.

"Shouldn't you be checking that out? You know, as a huntress?" The helpful bartender questioned her as she took a long sip of her drink

"It's my day off." She put simply, not wanting to be bothered. At that Junior pointed to the TV, which now had a live newsfeed of a giant robot destroying town.

"Day off from that?"

"Yup. Wait… Is that Weiss?" Junior perked, looking at the television which was now zooming in on the people involved in fighting the machine.

"Is she one of your friends? Does that mean you'll leave?"

"Not even close, and you wish." Yang ignored his grumbles as she stared at the screen. Whatever was happening to Weiss, she probably deserved it. Blake… Not so much. Yang was undecided on how she felt about the Faunus. If revealing her secret brought the team closer together, Yang didn't feel it. She would've liked for them to be friends, considering they were partners and all, but Weiss had taken away that opportunity. Yang hadn't exact tried to be a friend to Blake before Weiss entered the picture, but somehow it was still the Snowbitch's fault.

The mech landed a nasty hit on some monkey Faunus, and she saw Junior wince out of the corner of her eye.

"Are you sure you don't want to help? Is t it supposed to be your sworn duty or something?" Junior tried to convince her to leave. Yang snickered at this.

"That's a police officer. Plus, there's no way in hell that I'd ever help-" The words died in her mouth as yet another Huntress entered the game. "Ruby!" And like that, Yang was gone.

"Finally that crazy bitch is gone. And she didn't even pay for her drink…" Junior mumbled, cleaning up after her.

* * *

Today was one of those days she would make Roman proud. She didn't know how she knew this, but she did. Occasionally, she would wake up after sleeping in his bed, now her bed, and just have that feeling. It was a strange feeling, one she couldn't quite place, but it was there, and she felt it today.

"Thank you all for coming." The White Fang Lieutenant began his speech. "For those of you who are joining us for the first time tonight, allow me to introduce a very special comrade of ours! I can assure you, she is the key to obtaining what we have fought for for so long!" And that was her que.

Walking to the center stage, Neo gave a confident bow as the boos started, then handed the lieutenant her speech paper. He looked at her strangely before she gestured for him to read and he turned to the audience.

"Hello there, I am Neopolitan Torchwick. Now, among some of the first questions you may be asking yourself, a bet one is something along the lines of 'why isn't she talking?' Well, the answer to that is none of your business, and if you ask again, I'll kill you." The muttering in the crowd got a little louder, and she smiled wickedly as he continued. "You may be thinking, 'why is a human up there giving us Faunus a lecture?' Well, I'll be the first to admit, humans are… The worst. Case and point, me, who just threatened to kill you. But, before you try, and fail, to kill me, I'd like to mention the fact that you and I all have a common enemy. I'm talking about the ones in control, the dirty, rotten humans that run our kingdoms!" The tone of the muttering began to change into that of agreement, and Neo thanked Roman that he had already begun to work on the speech before he died. "Government, military, even the schools! They're all to blame for your lot in life! And they're all pests that need to be dealt with! Lucky for you all, I live to kill…"

She snapped, the curtain came down, and the applause began. Easy as pie.

"As some of you may have heard, this is Atlas' newest defense against all the scary things in the world, like me. And thanks to my good friend, we've managed to snag a few before they are given to the public. Now, many of your brothers have already moved down to our new operation in the southeast. If you'd rather stay within the city, that's fine... But if you're truly ready to fight for what you believe in, this is the arsenal I can provide you. Any questions?" The roars of approval gave Neo everything she needed to know. Cinder would be happy with her work here, and even better, Emerald wouldn't be. Giving her the speech back, the White Fang Lieutenant went on with his own prerogative. "Will all new recruits please come forward!"

As the line to join the cause surged forward, Neo noticed a pair in the crowd that seemed to go against the tide. A black cat faunus and a blonde monkey faunus. The recognition was instantaneous. She had been watching as two people of that same description bursted in on Roman's last had been there when the blonde haired bastard killed Torchwick, which meant they had to know something about him. Now Neo had to make sure they didn't realize what she did.

And it was too late. She and the Black cat locked eyes. She knew. The both of them reacted with lighting speed. The faunus pulled out a firearm and shot out the lights, while Neo teleported into the mech and hit the first button she could.

"Missiles launched." A calm robotic voice sounded.

 _ **BOOM!**_

* * *

The moment Blake and Neo's eyes met, the Faunus knew she was gonna get a scolding from Weiss. Then the lights went out and everything exploded.

Her original plan was to go through window while everyone was disoriented and make a break for it, but a fucking missile put a stop to that. Instead, she and Sun now had to improvise. As it turns out, not Sun's strong suit.

"Have any ideas?" Blake asked the monkey Faunus she came in with. The new recruits had mostly fled and the White Fang members had bolted as well, knowing the police would be arriving to the scene any minute. That just left them with the mech to deal with.

"Shoot it!" He yelled his amazing idea while dodging some ballistic fire from one of thee mech's turrets.

"Any other ideas?" She tried again, shooting at the machine and doing little damage to it.

"Don't die!" Closing in, he dodged a punch and slammed down on the cockpit with his staff. There seemed to be a comedic pause, in which he was able to realize how much he screwed up. Then the missile fired and he went flying along with it

"Damn it, Sun…" Blake mumbled, squaring up against an actual giant robot. Blake could tell that the missiles and turret had locked on and was prepared to strike them down, but she didn't need to, as both were unable to fire while covered in ice.

"I told you so!" The ice queen appeared in the nick of time, hovering on a glyph. "I knew this was gonna go badly, I knew it!" Blake regrouped with her with a mix of joy, worry, and annoyance.

"Weren't you the one who ran off with Neptune?" The Faunus remarked, making Weiss blush.

"Semantics. We have bigger things to worry about." They both turned to the mech, who had finished breaking off the ice.

"Got any ideas?" Blake tried again.

"I'll keep it in place, you find a way to break it." Weiss offered, readying another glyph. "Sound good?" Blake nodded.

"Fine by me."

"Well then." They gave each other small smiles before falling back to their serious faces. "Let's do this."And with that, the real fight began.

Immediately, they ran together within close range of the mech, dodging bullets and missiles to get to a safe zone. Well, safer zone. Weiss sent another glyph that way, but it was expected and blocked. Once within punching and kicking range, the mech, naturally, started punching and kicking.

Weiss was going wild. Any strike her way would be dodged and iced to the ground before the pilot even knew what hit her. Afterwards, Weiss would give small hit to the limb in question and be out of there in a flash. It didn't do much in terms of keeping the mech in place, but it did slow the machine down a bit. Enough so that Blake could do what she needed to.

Blake wasn't stupid. She it would be near on impossible to destroy the metal monstrosity without using aura. Having said that, there was the question of why she wasn't using any aura in her strikes. Well, when you're in the White Fang, you deal with Atlas, and when you deal with Atlas, you deal with robots. Not something the former criminal would go around telling everyone, but she had fought atlas mechs before, and she new how to beat them in only two simple steps.

The trick was to first test the construction. Using non-powered up strikes, Blake would try and hit every part of the mech. This did almost no damage, but it did give her feel for the most guarded parts of the machine and the weakest. Once the perfect sweet spot between weakness and guardedness was found, it was time for step two.

"I'm going in for the cockpit, cover me." The faunus told her friend after regrouping a second time.

"Wait, what?" Before Weiss could wrap her mind around what that could possibly mean, Blake was off.

Getting away from the mech and reengaging it where it could see you was key to the plan. It might have seemed backwards, but this step could vary dependent on your powers. Getting past the defenses once more and jumping up to get level with the cockpit, Blake brought herself to shoot directly at the pilot. As expected, the mech swatted her out of the sky. Only to have her disappear without warning. Right behind, the real Blake Belladonna stood ready and waiting, putting a decent portion of her aura into one single blow. The mech couldn't turn around fast enough to defend it's arm from the sheer devastation that was about to hit it. Blake released her might and everything went according to plan.

That is, if the plan was for Gamble Shroud to be suddenly blocked Neo's umbrella. The cat faunus' eyes widened as she felt the aura she was using drain away while the multicolored fiend stared on with wicked smile. This situation now felt like what Sun would call an 'oh shit' moment, because that was the phrase that kept going through Blake's mind.

And then a red blur passed by the mech, and then it did it again, and again. Before either Blake or Neo knew it, the entire machine was seemingly swallowed up a red tornado. The tornado subsided almost as fast as it came up, revealing Ruby standing confident with mech parts strewn about in her wake.

"Sorry I was late, guys. I had to pay for my food." Their team leader said with a serious, but somewhat happy tone. Looking at Neo, Blake could tell that she was having her own 'oh shit' moment. Blake made the smart choice, and got out of there while she could.

Three members of team RWBY stood ready as Neo brandished both her cane and umbrella. It was three against one, and yet the look on the girl's face, who was smaller than even Ruby, made Blake unsure of their chances.

"The police and Atlas military will be here any minute. We just need to keep her occupied." Ruby informed the two beside her. "The quicker we knock her out, the better." Neo smiled at this. Easier said than done.

The fight was completely unfair and one sided, but not in the way one would think. Neo completely dominated the huntresses-in-training. Her speed was on par with Ruby, and even more so when she was teleporting around like crazy. As seen before, Neo easily overpowered Blake and made her semblance obsolete because, once again, teleportation. And Weiss… Weiss didn't really have a chance to begin with.

No surprise to anyone, the heiress fell out of the conflict first. After dealing with a massive amount of cuts from the umbrella, a hit to the back with the cane, and a roundhouse kick directly to the stomach, not in that order, Weiss' body couldn't take anymore, and she collapsed as her aura was depleted. She would have still been able to fight without it, but that would have almost assuredly resulted in her death.

Blake was next on the list. While she was objectively more powerful than Ruby, dodging hits instead of blocking them made all the difference in this fight. She didn't have to deal with the sword umbrella, but one could only take so many concussive blows to the head before they needed to lie down for a long while.

Ruby didn't get hit much at all, barely a scratch in her. However, once Weiss and Blake were down for the count, all that changed for the worst. For the short time it lasted, Ruby got arguably the worst beat down. Slices, smashes, stabs, Neo became like a never ending fountain of pain for the leader of Team RWBY. Blake could barely watch as the girl dressed in red got redder and redder. Finally, it ended with Neo stabbing Ruby directly in the thigh.

Blake grimaced when she heard the scream, tears forcing their way out of her eyes. They were dead. They were all about to be dead. Neo seemed to realize the same thing, face gaining a more and more psychotic look. Forcing Ruby to the ground with the umbrella in her leg, the deadly woman lined up her cane for the execution.

Blake gained a supreme, borderline sadistic, satisfaction at seeing Neo now. She hadn't moved from her position, but her entire body bent unnaturally, her spine curving in a way it was never supposed to. Her eyes were wide, not in psychotic happiness, but in pain. Finally, her mouth was opened wide, a silent scream of agony forcing its way out. One instant she was there, the next she was gone.

Right behind, with with her fist outstretched and eyes a bright red, Yang looked furious. Her knuckles were bleeding, as if she had been punching walls the entire way here to give her semblance more power. Mere seconds later, the first police cars arrived on the scene. Secure in the knowledge that everything was gonna be alright, Blake passed out.

* * *

"Sir, the monkey faunus has been secured as per your orders." A White Fang operative stood in front of Adam Taurus, reporting on his special mission.

"And does he suspect anything?" Adam asked, knowing the answer.

"No sir. He thinks he has been taken into custody by the Atlas military. He suspects nothing of the faunus kind." Adam nodded.

"You have done well. But there is just one more thing I need from you…"

"What is- Ack!"

"Your silence." Adam withdrew his blade from the faunus' neck, wiping it off and putting it back in the sheath. Walking away from the body, he couldn't help but smile. "Sun Wukong… You are mine."

* * *

 **Holy shit. This took way too long. Almost an entire month between updates. I do have excuses, but most of them are personal and it basically boils down to: It's been a shitty month for me. Hopefully, moving forward, things won't be as bad, but you never know what the future holds.**

 **Here's my usual response to the reviews now.**

 **His friends haven't just ignored the fact that he's killed people, it's just that most of them don't care. Ruby and Pyrrha are both exceptionally understanding, not to mention they both try to see Jaune in a perfect light, so they don't care too much. With Ren and Nora living homeless ever since they were children, it's almost impossible to think at least one of them didn't end up killing someone. Weiss doesn't care because this means, one, Jaune is very strong, and two, less white fang to deal with. Weiss didn't care that Blake was one because they were friends, but besides that, she still doesn't like the white fang who have** **murdered members of her family** **. Yang doesn't care because she's arrogant and thinks that she would still be able to best him, not to mention, having Qrow as a mentor means she's definitely seen a murder before. The only one of his friends that would care that he murdered the white fang members would be Blake, and as we can see, she is very averse to being near him. The only other people to think about would be Jaune's fellow classmates, who we haven't actually seen yet because I've been skipping over class scenes. Trust me, they** **will** **care.**

 **Anyway,**

 **I don't know why I decided to make Neptune an asshole, but I just did. I apologize to all the diehard Neptune fans out there, but he won't be put in a good light in this story.**

 **What are your favorite plot lines to follow? And would you prefer me to start dedicating chapters to a person instead of having everything all spread out?**

 **That's about it. I am so out of it right now.**

 **Helpful criticism welcome, your awesome reviews appreciated, and until next time,**

 **-RMV**


	15. Dance Dance Preparations Part One

Her form was perfect, each strike calculated and efficient. Should she have gone deadly in her attacks, her opponents would already be dead. It was such a shame, then, that she got in the way.

Cinder Fall watched as Pyrrha Nikos took on all of Team Cardinal alone. How this had even been allowed to happen, Cinder was unaware, but it was certainly entertaining. Well, it didn't compare to torturing an enemy for information, but since Cinder couldn't do that, these games would suffice.

As she observed Nikos dodge yet another close strike with ease, Cinder wondered yet again what the champion's semblance was. Was she able to influence the minds of her opponents, choosing to put on a good show? Did she repel all attacks naturally, like some sort of human magnet? It was it something especially stupid, like being 'lucky' all the time?

Regardless, Cinder would know in time. She always did. Until then, Nikos was priority number one in terms of students. Following her was Ruby Rose, and the question why Ozpin would let her come to the school two years early. That man certainly had a way of messing with Cinder.

The battle finally came to a close when Nikos had sufficiently whittled down the opponents' auras. Not too satisfying, but a good shown nonetheless.

"Good job, Miss Nikos. Now, it seems we have time for one more match." Glynda Goodwitch, age thirty five, semblance Telekinesis. Ozpin's number one trusted lackey. She wasn't someone to mess around with but… Well, Cinder could take her.

"I'd like to fight today." A voice in the crowd volunteered. Priority number zero, Jaune Arc. Instantly, the students in the stands started to mutter and away anxiously. Every since that stint at the dockyards, Cinder had been keen to keep a close eye on Arc.

In terms of history, Emerald and Mercury hadn't found much. No family, no past teachers, nothing. This did make sense, considering the one thing they did know about him. He had forged transcripts. A powerful piece of information Cinder had been holding on to. She had wanted to use it to ensure he stayed out of her way, but Arc seemed to evade made her at every turn.

The plan had been for Mercury to fight Nikos and learn her semblance, but seeing Arc fight would be even more productive. Now it all just depended on who he fought.

"That's fine. I'll just find you an opponent-" He cut off the teacher before she could finish.

"Actually, I had someone in mind." He looked over his fellow classmates, who tried their best to avoid his gaze. Then he pointed directly at… Her. "I'd like to fight Cinder Fall, if she'd have me." He smiled mischievously as her own smile faltered. Next to her, a random kid whispered.

"Don't do it! He's… Killed people!" At this Cinder almost laughed. Her smile came back at least. How far had the hunters of youth fallen, that they would be so adverse to a simple killing. Sure, Arc turned almost thirty faunus into pieces in a matter of seconds, but still. No spine, these kids. Ozpin was babying them, trying to hide how the real world worked. That would be his downfall.

"I think I'll be fine." She responded to the person beside her. Turning back to Arc, she gave a seductive grin.

"I'd be happy to."

* * *

As much as Cinder wanted to, she would refrain herself from hurting Arc… Too badly. She wouldn't blow her cover for the sake of winning a match. Not that she needed to, Arc would be no match for her.

When they got to opposite ends of the arena, Cinder stretched herself out slightly, not so subtly showing herself off. Arc didn't seem to take the bait, whether because he didn't like her or just swing the other way. Either or, at least the fight wouldn't be too easy. He brought up his sword and shield, and she did the same, converting her weapon to bow form and readying a single arrow. But then, for a split second, she saw something change.

His eyes dilated slightly, the grip on his sword tightened, and his stance changed to a more advanced one. Beyond that, the humorous grin he had been sporting died right then and there. Still too, the air around the two of them was different. Before it had been playful, slightly competitive. Now it was threatening. Although she knew not what was to come, she knew something was coming. And though Cinder would never admit it to anyone ever, in that moment, a single shiver moved down her spine.

"Begin!" And they were off.

Immediately, Arc ran to close the gap between them. Cinder, not giving him a second, fired off a shot that would be easy to block, but hard to dodge. He dodged it, and a few seconds later, the arrow exploded. Readying three more arrows, Cinder jumped back just as he came near, firing the dust shards to the ground. He backed away from the fiery explosions, but kept up the chase.

The weird thing about Arc's style, was that he moved without caution. He would run in like that oaf Winchester, yet maneuver out of any traps she set like he had been analyzing the situation the entire time. Was she just being predictable, or was he truly that good? After fighting so many people that weren't even close to a match for her, Cinder needed to make a conscious effort to switch things up and give more than minimal effort. Regardless, her bow was getting her nowhere, so she made an effort.

Disconnecting the blades from each other, Cinder disassembled the bow in exchange for a pair of glass swords. They felt weird in her hands, as it has been a long time since she had last seriously used swords. Her bow was always her default, since having range was always preferred to not, but no one had gotten past that strategy in the months she had been in Vale. Plus, threats, tortures, and executions did little to improve her sword wielding ability. It seemed that Arc, as well, thought this change in tactics weird, considering the momentary falter in his unrelenting charge. Both taking a second to adjust to the new style, they charged each other with new vigor.

In the end, Cinder's strength rang true, as their minute long sword clash ended with her as the victor, and his shield flung to the side. Soon after, his sword joined his shield on the sidelines, with Cinder smiling victoriously.

"Do you yield?" She asked, letting the partially threat sweep into her tone.

"No." He replied simply, still looking out of it.

"Alright then." Cinder accepted with a nod, pulling back her blades to deliver the final blow. It was here, where she faltered. Not willing, of course, but for some reason she felt slightly weaker. Looking at the scoreboard showed that she had indeed lost Aura, but how?

This moment of weakness costed her, as they always did. Arc, who was getting on her nerves, quickly disarmed Cinder and leveled the playing field. Now she was getting sick of his shit. Taking out some fire dust crystals that she always had on her, she crushed them and started wielding the flames. They had transitioned to hand to hand, except her hands were on fire.

Arc was markedly better than she was in the martial arts, and Cinder's fire was the only thing keeping her afloat. The dead look on his face had been there the entire time, but now it was starting to bother her, a lot. Overextending, the criminal mastermind decided to finally end this by burning Arc's face off. Unfortunately, this had the opposite effect of what she was going for.

Not being bothered by the fire in the slightest, Arc let it burn his skin while he took advantage of her mistakes. Taking her flaming arm, he powered through her Aura to snap it in half. Instantly, her Aura dropped to the red, but he wasn't done yet. Taking her face in his hands, he smashed their heads together, breaking her nose. And he surely would have done more if not for Goodwitch's semblance pulling the two of them apart.

"Mr. Arc! When your opponent's aura drops to the red, you must stop the fight! This is your first and final warning, so never do it again." Arc blinked a few times then nodded, bowing his head. "And Miss Fall, get your team to take you to the infirmary. You did wonderful, so don't feel bad about the loss." Goodwitch walked away while Emerald and Mercury dropped down from the stands, and the fight was officially over.

Cinder, one arm limp and bent the wrong way, the other holding onto her bloody nose, was both happy and angry. Angry, of course, at her loss and sustained injuries. But happy because of her discovery. While they were fighting she managed to put it together.

Jaune Arc drains aura.

* * *

"Hey girls." Jaune greeted three fourths of Team RWBY in the nurse's office. After their fight with Neo, they had sustained severe damage and were required to stay there for a couple of days.

When he had heard about the battle, Jaune instantly went rushing over to the nurse in order to see them all. He had gotten there right when they were stitching up Ruby's leg. The site was no more gruesome than the things he had witnessed in his past life, but seeing Ruby like that, so pale and fragile, really did a number on him. Ever since, he had been visiting her along with Weiss and Blake everyday.

"Hi Jaune." They each responded in their own variations.

"How are you feeling?" He asked them, looking at Ruby.

"My leg is still sore, but mainly I'm ready to get back out there and kick some butt!" Ruby replied enthusiastically. Blake, with less enthusiasm, shared the sentiment.

"Indeed. That 'new Torchwick' is still out there and we need to do something about it." She affirmed. "As soon as they let us leave, I'll be going straight to the library."

"You mean the main hall." Weiss corrected.

"What? Why would I go there?" The faunus questioned.

"Because Ms. Goodwitch tasked us with setting up for the dance, so that's what we'll be doing."

"The dance? Why would we possibly waste our time with that? We got destroyed when we fought Neo! If we aren't trying to track her down, then we should at least be training." Blake reasoned, but the heiress wasn't having any of it.

"Yes, we did get destroyed, and yes we should train. But working yourself to the bone will only make things worse. I've seen you stay up well into the night staring at your scroll. Only once we rest, can we start to get things done."

"Yeah." Ruby added her two cents. "Plus, I don't know about you guys… But I'm kinda excited for the dance. It'll be a nice way to relax, right Jaune." Jaune nodded his support and she continued. "You should ask Sun to go with you." Blake went to give a rebuttable, but when she glanced at Jaune, her response became weaker.

"I haven't even seen him since the fight." She mumbled, crossing her arms. Jaune could tell she still hadn't agreed to go, but at least for now she had been pacified. With that, he decided to change the topic.

"So when will you be released anyway?" He directed his question to Weiss. If anyone knew, she would.

"Right now, actually!" Interrupted an uppity nurse before Weiss could answer. Being a Combat School and all, teams were usually responsible for caring for their own teammates, so Jaune has never actually met her before. He didn't even know her name.

"Great. Now we can start working on the dance." Weiss remarked. Blake shook her head at this.

"Yeah, no. I'll be in the library if you really need me." The Faunus dismissed the three of them, practically running away.

"That's… Disappointing." Ruby sighed. Jaune rubbed her shoulder in response.

"I'm sure it'll work out alright." He reassured her as they all walked out of the nurse's office, unaware of the people listening in.

"When do we get to kill him?" Emerald asked suddenly once the innocent students were out of earshot. Cinder shook her head while Mercury chuckled at his partner's eagerness.

"Now, now. We promised that Neo would be able to end Arc." The fiery boss reminded her subordinate. Emerald deflated quickly.

"But aren't you mad that he beat you? Don't you want to-" The mint green haired illusionist was cut off by a slap. Before she could ask what she did wrong, Cinder grabbed her face and pulled it close to hers.

"I am not mad he beat me, Emerald dear, I am furious. But don't ever presume to know what I want again, or I will end you. Do you understand?" The thief nodded quickly. "Good… You're so quick to follow directions, so loyal. It's times like this when I remember why I keep you around." Cinder let go off Emeralds face and shooed the two off. "Now enough babble, go back to doing your jobs and let me think." Looking at her arm, it seemed she needed a new plan.

* * *

 _ **CRASH!**_

Pain. Pure and unimaginable had she not been experiencing it right this second. The initial shock only lasted a few minutes, but it felt like an eternity.

After the attack, Neo immediately felt pins and needles spread to all her extremities, causing her to barely be able to move. Not that she would be able to anyway, as the migraine she had refused to let her process any information on where she had teleported.

After a forever and a half, the pain somewhat subsided and Neo gained back the ability to pull herself up. Even doing that made her legs shake and nearly buckle at her own minimal weight. Finally, she was able to observe where she was.

The thing thing Neo was leaning on turned out to be a tree. Not just any tree, but a Forever Falls tree in the middle of a very special clearing. Moving herself to the other side of dark red tree let her see it, a patch of dirt that seemed to be less developed than the rest, an unmarked grave.

This was Roman's grave. Normally in Remnant, people would be cremated when they died, as graveyards would only spawn constant Grimm. But Neo had refused to burn his body, so she took it upon herself to find a spot for him. Days she spent in the forest searching for something worthy of Roman, and then she found this place. Nice and quiet.

Her semblance only allowed her to teleport to places that she had seen or been to in person, and if she went to a place enough times it would be linked to her person, so she could go there without even thinking about it. This was the last place she had went to before heading to the White Fang rally, so her teleporting here wasn't anything of a mystery.

 _ **Grrrr…**_

Instantly, she looked from the dirt and further into the woods. Right on the edge of the tree line stood an Ursa Major, preparing to charge. Neo reached for her weapons, but came up with nothing. She dropped them after she had teleported. The Grimm began to close the distance between the two, but she wasn't worried.

She was Neo Goddamn Torchwick, and she wasn't going to be taken out by a stupid fucking Grimm!

With no weapons and a silent battle cry, she charged forward.

* * *

Since Jaune needed to do some training with his team, it was Weiss who helped Ruby get to the ballroom. Ruby was able to walk, but she would occasionally stumble if she put too much strain. Her team leader tried to tell her off for doting too much, but Weiss wouldn't have it. She had made a decision on the person she was going to be, and that meant she would be there for Ruby, as well as Blake. No matter what. They didn't have much of a conversation, but once they arrived at their destination, the two partners shared light smiles with each other. And then Weiss' vanished.

"Took you long enough." Yang joked with an edge to her voice. "Were you not helping her walk?" The blonde accused the heiress. Ruby tensed and Weiss snarled.

"I was, but maybe her big sister would have done a better job." Weiss spit back. Yang's fake smile turned to a real frown, but before she could make a retort, Ruby intervened.

"Guy! It's okay. I made it, everything's fine. Please don't fight." Weiss' glare softened, Yang's didn't, and she nodded at her leader's sentiment.

"Ruby's right. She needs to sit and we all still need to decorate the ballroom. The only way we'll get that done is if the two of us work together and not be at each other's throats." Judging by her reaction, Yang clearly didn't like the sentiment, but still felt concern for Ruby's well being.

"Fine. Let's just get this done." The brawler grunted, walking into the ballroom without waiting for either of them. The two remaining members of Team RWBY looked at each other.

"Thank you, Weiss." Ruby said sincerely. Weiss just shook her head.

"I don't want to fight with her, Ruby. But I'm fairly sure she doesn't feels the same way." With that the two of them went inside after the big sister in question.

The decorating was surprisingly successful. Yang and Weiss barely had a single squabble and they got things done quickly. It didn't seem like much, but to Weiss, it was everything. For once, she and Yang were together for more than ten minutes without trying to kill each other, aside from classes. To the heiress, this represented a small hope that maybe, Team RWBY could actually get along and rise to the top.

On the other side of things, Yang was trying to suppress her urge to kill Weiss right then and there. To distract herself and occupy some time, Yang tried to think of nonlethal ways that could get Weiss away from Ruby forever. Perhaps getting her to transfer to another school would do it. But how?

"Hey girls, what cha' doing?" Just when they finished up, blue hair caught the heiress' attention. Putting down her party supplies, she went over to greet Neptune.

"Oh, we were just doing some decorating for the dance." She answered him with a smile.

"Cool. I'm sure it'll be awesome." He assured, making her blush slightly.

"Where have you been? I haven't seen you since I- Oh! I left you on the roof! I'm so sorry for that, I-" Neptune put a hand on her shoulder and gave her a charming smile.

"Don't worry about it, Snow Angel. I'm a big boy, there's no need to fret. Plus, I'm here aren't I?" Their eyes locked and they both smiled. The conversation went no further, though, as Ruby barged in.

"Where is Sun?" She asked the blue haired charmer desperately.

"Why do you ask?"

"Blake says she's not going to the dance, and I wanted to see if he would talk to her about it." Neptune shook his head.

"Sorry to burst your bubble, but he's gone." Team RWBY's eyes furrowed and Yang joined the conversation.

"What's that mean?"

"He's on an 'adventure.'" Neptune clarified. "Every now and then something random will catch his attention and he'll follow it for a while. That's why he came to Beacon before I did. He'll be fine though. Usually these things last a month, tops." Ruby frowned and sunk down into her chair.

"How are we ever supposed to get Blake to go now?" She asked hopelessly. Weiss patted her shoulder and smiled.

"Don't worry Ruby. I'll make her go." The heiress reassured the reaper.

"How?"

"You'll see."

* * *

 **This chapter is shorter than usual, but I wanted to take a bit more time before the dance. Not only that, but if I didn't split this chapter, it would be another two weeks before I'd be able to release it.**

 **Some things to address:**

 **Jaune can take Cinder with ease because he has been fighting her for literal decades. He knows all her tricks and then some. He was only able to fight Pyrrha for less than a year. Plus, when he gets into his 'spacing out' mode, he becomes a much better fighter.**

 **I agree that forgetting to protect your lower body is a bit stupid, but I was trying to think of a better reason for him losing than just 'he's not adjusted to his body' for** **another** **time. Rest assured, that most definitely was the reason, but I was trying to spice things up a bit. Maybe I'll go back and change it, maybe I won't. I'll have to read it over and see.**

 **It might seem like I went a little overboard on how bad Yang's punch was, but a Spinal injury is absolutely terrible. And not to mention that Yang was using her semblance to make herself even stronger than normal. Neo was bound to feel that pain, regardless of how much aura she had. The fact that she wasn't paralyzed was a testament to the power of Aura, because any normal person would have been.**

 **On Yang being a bitch, I was actually trying to lessen that a bit last time by giving her a slight moment of regret and introspection. Obviously, the moment backfires because Junior doesn't want to say she was wrong and risk getting his bar destroyed, but I still thought it was an important moment for her character because now she's even** **more** **resolved in her decisions.**

 **And that's about it.**

 **Helpful criticism welcome, your amazing review appreciated, and until next time,**

 **-RMV**


	16. Dance Dance Preparations Part Two

As it turned out, training with Ruby was not nearly as… 'Intimate' as Pyrrha thought it would be. Whether this was how it always was, or if it was because of Ruby's injury, Pyrrha would only find out in time. To be completely honest with herself, though, she wasn't exactly sure if she was disappointed or not.

Getting off that uncomfortable train of thought, Pyrrha turned her attention back to Ruby and Jaune. Ruby was sitting as Jaune pumped aura into her leg in an effort to help her stand on her own. The red haired champion had never before seen an aura transfer on a level such as that. Perhaps it was Jaune's semblance? She'd ask, but now was not the time. Jaune finished up and Ruby stood hesitantly until she got used to the limb.

"I think you went a little overboard, Jaune. My leg doesn't feel normal, it feels fantastic!" Ruby exclaimed with a previously unknown energy. Hopping up and down, Jaune had to hold her steady so that she didn't exert the power too soon.

"Yeah… I think I see that now… I'm… Kinda tired…" Instantly, Ruby started panicking, checking Jaune on all sides.

"Oh no! Are you okay? Did you use too much aura? Will you die? Please don't die!" Pyrrha giggles at their antics. They were kinda acting like Ren and Nora.

"I'm not gonna die, Ruby… I just need to sit… For a while." Jaune reassured her.

"Oh, good! But how will you train me?"

"I won't, Pyrrha will." The attention was now on her, and she took it with ease.

"Ooo! What are we gonna do Pyrrha? I know you're an excellent fighter!" At Ruby's comment Pyrrha blushed.

"Well, Jaune told me that you relied on Crescent Rose for the most part," On cue, the giant scythe was revealed and Ruby started cuddling it. "So today, we're going to focus on unarmed combat." Ruby seemed to pout at this fact, but quickly got over it and put her scythe to the side. "Let me see your basic form."

Jumping into position, Ruby did as she was told. The motion didn't look fluid, but it certainly wasn't as bad as Pyrrha was expecting. She had dealt with worse from her opponents in the tournaments!

"Good. First, the basic four. Go." The basic four, the first thing every half decent fighter learned before even picking up a weapon. Ruby was no exception. Starting with her left hand, she jabbed in front of her, then crossed over with her right hand, hook with her left, and a final uppercut with the right. Her form in motion was… Not that good. Her body was static and her feet barely shifted an inch.

"How was that?" Ruby asked eagerly.

"Ehh… How about you try again." The young huntress did so, this time even quicker and sloppier. "Okay. First, slow down. We have to make this natural before we speed things up. Second, don't be so rigid. Umm… Imagine… Imagine that you're fighting with Crescent Rose, and how your body would move then. Got it?"

"Got it!" Ruby confirmed. Her third set was better, but still lacking. This would take a while.

Looking over, Pyrrha saw Jaune staring happily at the two of them.

It would be worth it.

* * *

Jaune watched, entranced, as Pyrrha and Ruby traded blows. As always, his lack of aura caused him to go into a sort of 'high,' and with his two favorite people getting along right in front of him… He was on cloud nine.

"This is how it should've been…" Jaune muttered to himself. The aura in Ruby's leg had started to dwindle, but despite that, the two girls were still going strong. Right now, Pyrrha was on the defensive, allowing Ruby to better understand how attacking someone would feel like. Occasionally, they would switch, and Ruby would start taking punches instead of giving them.

Jaune sighed in contentment and laid his head on the table. He'd let the whole world burn just to make this last forever. That thought sobered him up, making him frown. The whole world burning, a likely possibility with the way things were going.

Jaune has been slacking, allowing himself to enjoy life instead of being on guard. The happiness has made him irresponsible, reckless. That was why he decided to fight Cinder, and also why he snapped during the fight. Jaune got caught up in the moment, he… He had wanted to be the hero. And had it not been for Glynda, Cinder would be slain.

But that was impossible. He could not allow himself to take over Ruby's Destiny, only help guide it. A mentor. That was what he needed to be, unless he wished to pay the price.

Most definitely, Fate had something planned for him after his battle. Jaune could only hope that it didn't effect his friends.

"Are you okay, Jaune?" Ruby asked, taking a break to notice his frown. Being addressed, Jaune shook away his dark thoughts.

"Yeah… I was just thinking about… Stuff…" The reaper came over to him and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"I'm always here if you need to talk about it." She offered to him.

"Thanks." Maybe he'd take her up on that offer. One day, when the threat was dealt with and the world was saved. When they could have a family. That thought made him smile.

"What are you thinking about now?" Pyrrha asked lightheartedly.

"The future… If I… Ever make it there…" Before either girl could ask what that meant, Jaune was out like a light.

* * *

"No."

"But-"

"Do not finish that sentence Emerald. I won't tolerate your disrespect any longer. I have given you an order and you will follow it. Do you understand?" Cinder's hand shrouded itself in a wreath of flames. Emerald had pushed past her boundaries and now Cider had to put her back in place.

"Alright! I'm sorry." Emerald mumbled, clearly more afraid than sorry. Thankfully, before Emerald could worsen her own situation any more, Mercury came in with the save.

"Well, Emerald and I should go… Get ready. We should go get ready." He quickly came up with an excuse. It wasn't much of a save to be completely honest, but it did the trick.

"Indeed. Do whatever you deem necessary. Just don't be stupid." At this, she glanced at Emerald, who looked away. "Now, leave. I have to call Neo." The pair was pushed out of the room, and the door shut with a bang.

Out of earshot, Emerald started to shake. Her fists clenched, and Mercury immediately recognized the signs of a possible meltdown.

"Calm d-" Mercury began.

"Fuck you. Don't tell me to calm down! And fuck that pink bitch too! She doesn't deserve to help Cinder in any capacity! She'll only end up messing things up worse than they already are." Emerald ranted. Her silver haired companion snickered.

"Are you sure you aren't just jealous that she's going as Cinder's date?" The mirth in his eyes vanished when he felt cold metal press against his junk. He was not unused to the feeling of her threatening to blow away his privates, but that didn't make him feel any better.

"I don't want to hear your shit today, Mercury. That girl is a problem. And we're gonna fix it."

"No," Mercury corrected, backing away from Emerald's gun. "She's your problem and you have to fix it." Emerald smiled with a false sweetness, making Mercury nervous. He hated when she got like this. No fun, all business.

"Whatever do you mean, partner? She's our problem, and we're gonna fix it."

"Or what?" He challenged, refusing to budge.

"Or I'll tell Cinder about those 'pictures' you have." She offered with a Cheshire grin. Mercury's eyes widened.

Damn those pictures! Why did he ever take them? No, they were totally worth it. The better question was, why did he ever confide in Emerald about it?

"Ugh… Fine. What do you have in mind?"

"We need to deal with Jaune Arc. He's the one putting holes in Cinder's plans."

"And he beat her." Mercury reminded. "Not exactly much we can do against that."

"We might be able to jump him, land a surprise hit."

"Except he drains aura."

"We could blow him up with dust."

"According to his friends, he has a ridiculous amount of aura, so one hit wouldn't take him down. And I'll repeat, He drains aura."

"You could be a little more helpful, you know." Emerald growled.

"Oh I'm sorry. How exactly do you suppose we kill someone we can't kill? Sounds hopeless to me." Something Mercury said made the light in Emerald's eyes shine, and he suddenly feared for his life.

"How would Cinder get rid of someone who was in her way without killing them?" His jaw almost dropped at her sheer audacity.

"You can't be serious. How could we possibly get away with that?"

"You'll see."

* * *

Blake loved the library. She loved it a little too much, if Weiss had anything to say about. And she did. The heiress to the Schnee Dust Company once again found herself chasing after a former White Fang member. She vaguely wondered if Blake would ever end up doing something like this for her, but soon disregarded the idea. Weiss was helping Blake because she was a friend, no more reasons necessary.

Today, the library was empty. In anticipation for the dance, no one wanted to study. When Weiss found Blake, the cat was typing away on a computer, searching through article after article on any piece of information relating back to Neopolitan Torchwick. Seeing her face, the white haired girl flinched. The wounds were gone, but the memory wasn't.

"Find anything?" Weiss asked innocently. The sudden noise caused Blake to jump. Before she could pull out her weapon, Weiss stayed her hand. The reaction was expected.

"Oh, you. What? Are you gonna tell me to stop?" Blake responded with a bitter tone. Weiss scoffed.

"Blake, name how many time I've told you to stop." It was a challenge, one that Blake couldn't win.

"I…"

"Zero. I've never told you to stop hunting the White Fang or stop hunting Neo. I've never told you to stop training and I never will. However," Weiss took a breath. "I have told you to slow down, and I have told you to wait for me, but most of all, I've told you to take a break."

"I can't, not when-" Not heading Weiss' words at all, Blake fell back into her excuses. The heiress would have none of it.

"Why do you fight the White Fang? I know the reason you joined them, Faunus rights and all that. But why do you fight them now?" For the most part, Weiss already knew the answer to that, but she had to hear it from the cat's mouth once and for all.

"I left because they were getting violent. They started attacking innocents, started hurting people simply because they were human. It was discrimination. We had become the things we hated the most."

"But why fight them? Many left for the same reasons you did, but they don't all fight the current White Fang with the same burning passion that you do. So why?"

"I… I want to make them better… I want to bring the White Fang back to where it was before, when it was truly fighting for the right thing. I want justice for Faunus, not revenge." Weiss nodded to this.

"I…" Weiss hesitated, but looks to Blake and kept going. "I wish I could say the same for myself. Unfortunately, I wasn't nearly as noble as you are." Blake frowned slightly.

"Why… Why do you fight them, Weiss?" The tension between them has long since vanished, and Blake moved in closer to her friend.

"Well…"

* * *

Three cars traveled down an empty road in the middle of the night. It was a black limo, surrounded on both sides by armoured trucks. Some would call the Schnee Dust Company paranoid, they just called it being safe.

As they rounded a bend on the side of the cliff, the music from the limo could be heard, clashing with the silence of the outdoors. At the moment, Willow Schnee And Co. were getting shitfaced in the back seat. Or, more accurately, everyone besides Willow Schnee was getting shitfaced in the back seat.

In her travels, willow found that this was the best time to do business. As these 'great and powerful' men inebriated themselves, she would put on her innocent woman face. Then, as subtly as possible, ask them to sign a few papers. Once the business side of things was over, Willow proceeded to mess them up as much as possible in preparation for the next day.

Inevitably, the 'great and powerful' men would come back to her, angry as to why they had sold their entire company for barely a single lien. They'd threaten to sue, as always, and Willow would simply pull out some nice and juicy blackm- 'Photos' that she had been keeping.

She never actually expected to become this successful, but hey, she wasn't complaining. And besides, the boring stuff, the legal stuff, was dealt with by her husband. Truly, they were the perfect team.

When Willow felt the cars roll to a stop, she knew something was off. They never stopped unless they reached their destination or she told them to, and they hadn't done either.

"Why have we stopped? What's happening?" Willow demanded, moving to the front seat.

"They saw something in the road. Now they're investigating." The driver spoke calmly. Willow growled.

"Get it under control." She ordered, moving back to entertain her guests.

By the front of the caravan, two of the numerous Schnee Dust Company Brand Bodyguards got out of the vehicle. They had spotted something off in the road ahead, and they weren't taking any chances. The one closest to the cliff approached the item slowly, while the other kept his eyes on the slightly plateau next to them. Nobody would be getting the drop on them today.

 _ **BOOM!**_

Because they were already dead.

Without warning, the indescribably object in the road exploded, causing an immediate landslide that took out the first truck in the caravan. The two men approaching were instantly vaporized beforehand.

Not even seconds after the explosion, men from the second truck spread out, making it their priority to protect the limo. Sudden gunfire from above killed a fair few, but it was easily returned.

Willow herself was the only one to act faster than her bodyguards. Slamming all the drunken bastards to the floor, most likely knocking them out, she ran over to her hidden compartment and grabbed her equipment. A Schnee was never without her weapon for long. The weapon in question was a rapier-revolver hybrid, each cartridge slot for a vial of dust to be used at any time.

Summoning glyphs to defend her employees was the easy part of the whole skirmish. The tough part was firing back. Not long after the first bomb went off, a second explosion detonated, destroying the road behind the convoy. A tough spot, to say for sure. However it soon became clear to both sides that this battle would end in a standstill if nothing more was done.

Sensing this, one of the more courageous members of the ambushing group decided to jump down the small cliff and go head to head. The first thing Willow noticed was the man's cat ears. Clearly, he was a Faunus. What out Willow off more, though, was actually the mask the man wore. It was a white Grimm mask, covering half of his face. For a brief moment, fighting on both sides stopped.

"Who are you?" Willow asked.

"We are the a White Fang." The man said simply.

"But Who are you?" She clarified.

"Just a man ready to die for his cause." Clearly, she would get no more information out of him.

"Fine then." With that, she charged. It wasn't until it was too late to change course that she saw the smile on his face.

 _ **BOOM!**_

The last thing Willow Schnee knew was fire.

* * *

After recounting the story, albeit with less detail,, Weiss' ice cold demeanor had begun to crack.

"Only the driver survived. Everyone else was slaughtered…" Clearly, she was upset. But the thought of what she was going to say next only seemed to make things worse. "That was five years ago, and ever since that day, I've hated the White Fang- No, hated Faunus with a passion. I didn't want justice, I wanted revenge. I wanted all Faunus to pay for the crimes of a select few. I knew it was wrong, but I couldn't help myself! Twelve-year-olds aren't supposed to lose their mothers!"

She took a breath.

"But then I met you. And even though our team was falling apart, you stayed by me. Even though I was a total bitch, you stayed by me. Maybe it was because I never had many friends, or maybe there really was something there, but… When you told me you were a Faunus, when you said you were part of the White Fang and ran away… I wasn't angry anymore." Weiss wiped some tears from her eyes. "I didn't care what you did, I just wanted to know that you were safe. The fact that you want to fight the White Fang only makes me even more glad that I'm friends with you, because you get it, you understand the burn."

The heiress paused once more.

"After the dockyard incident, my reason for fighting changed. I don't just want to avenge my mother. Now, I want to avenge everyone's mother. And everyone's father, and brother and sister. I want to right the wrongs of the past and make sure they can never happen in the future. And… I want you by my side for that Blake. But that can only happen if you've rested. So please, never stop fighting, but- For me, if no one else- Have a good night's sleep, and have some fun at the dance. After that, we can go right back to training and researching and anything that you want. Does that sound alright…?" Weiss finished hesitantly.

Only a few months ago, Blake would never be able to believe it if someone said this. Back then, nothing was sacred and everything was out to get her. Now, though… Now she had a friend.

Instantly, Blake wrapped Weiss in a tight embrace.

"I'll go." Blake promised.

"Thank you…" The ice queen sniffled.

* * *

"Where is the White Fang's main hideout?" Sun Wukong was once again awoken to that damn question. This time, in accompaniment with a punch to the stomach.

"I… Don't… Know…" He replied for the thousandth time. Or perhaps it was only the hundredth. Sun really couldn't tell. Being locked up in a dark room really messed with your sense of time.

"Don't lie to me, Faunus scum!" Another punch to the stomach, and another. If they fed Sun anything, it would've been thrown up by now. The monkey Faunus took a deep breath, for what he knew was going to be point less.

"Like I said before, I don't work for the White Fang. How hard is that to understand? Are you slow or something?" He knew it would only get him beaten more, but Sun had to make his jokes. If not, they would break him, and he refused to be broken. "You- Argh!" In response to his remark, his captor stabbed him in the leg.

"You were at the White Fang Rally. The security footage shows you there." The man rebutted. Every time, they had the same conversation, and every time they each made the same points. Maddening, is what it was.

"I was going under cover! Why don't you just listen to me!" Sun yelled, pulling against his chains. "Contact Beacon, they have me on record! Blake Belladonna, Weiss fucking Schnee, they'll both tell you that I'm telling the truth!" At this point, he was foaming at the mouth. Sure, Sun had been in trouble with the law before, but nothing like this. Oh why did the Atlas military have to be run be complete idiots?

"Subject still refuses to cooperate." The man said into his radio after witnessing Sun's meltdown. "Bring in the ASQD. This time, set it to…" The Atlas Shock and Questioning Device, the piece of technology sun hated more than any other. It started at 'Easy difficulty' and got progressively worse from there. Any torture you could think of, this machine would perform it. The stuff of nightmares, his nightmares. "Very Hard."

Sun's blood drained from his face. Only once before had he dealt with 'Hard difficulty,' and that day he had almost died. Just the prospect of a 'Very Hard difficulty' hurt enough to send him into a panic.

"Nonono! No! No! I'll kill you! I'll kill you all! Don't do this to me!" Sun's cries fell onto deaf ears, and his captor walked out as the machine was walked in.

Somewhere in the back of his tortured mind, Sun wondered if his friends had started looking for him yet. Considering he hadn't seen them since he was thrown by a giant robot, it was likely a yes. That, at least, gave him some hope.

* * *

 **Alright, explanation time.**

 **Jaune isn't smart. He wasn't fighting Cinder so she wouldn't know Pyrrha's semblance. He didn't even know that was when she found out. He was fighting her because he wanted to. Stupid, yes. But he was lost in the moment. And now all of that will start to crash back in on him.**

 **And to Yang being a bitch, that's kind of a staple of the story now, so... It isn't going to change anytime soon.**

 **Anyway.**

 **The interrogation scene wasn't that good, but it served its purpose. Mainly, I just wanted to check up on Sun. So in that regard, the point gets across.**

 **This is another short chapter, I know, but the next one will get back to the norm with the Dance. And I won't spoil anything, but there may or may not be some fluff in the next chapter. Just saying.**

 **I know it seems like I'm just disregarding all the reviews this time, but I don't mean to sound that way. It's just, sometimes something that i think is explained isn't, or the explanation isn't enough. It takes you guys to tell me these things so I can improve them in the future. So to all yu who did so, thank you.**

 **Review welcome, until next time,**

 **-RMV**


	17. Dance 'till You Drop

Dancing.

Neptune, for one, was crap at it. The rhythm went over his head, the moves were too complicated, and whenever he tried he was laughed at. Why bother? But inviting someone to a dance didn't mean you had to dance, not if things went the way Neptune wanted them to.

When Sun told him that he was going to introduce his partner to 'Team RWBY,' Neptune had been ready to pull his gentlemanly act. It was his go to when dealing with a few girls at once. Even if you broke one heart, the rest still swooned to you. However, when he found out 'Team Rwby' was about as much of a team as the hierarchy in an office job- to say, not at all- things became a whole lot easier.

Lust was all it is. Neptune was experienced enough to see that. For whatever reason, Weiss wanted him, and she wanted him bad. With most girls like this, Neptune would have already staked his claim by this point, but not Weiss. This was for two reasons. One, Weiss was a 'noble.' She couldn't just do things the easy way, there was always a stupid protocol to follow. And two, Blake. Without Sun to pathetically run Wingman, the cat faunus really put a dent in his plans. Neptune had no idea why Sun was so infatuated with her.

It didn't matter though. Neptune had a plan. Sure, it relied on a few things to happen, but he was confident. All that was left to do was ask her out.

"Hey Blake, Snow Angel." Neptune greeted with his signature grin. It was the morning before the dance, and like most mornings, the two of them were sitting in the library, researching the White Fang.

"Oh, Neptune! Fancy seeing you here." Weiss responded happily, putting down her scroll. Blake didn't even grunt in acknowledgement, not that he cared.

"Well, actually, I've been looking for you." He confessed, doing his best to found nervous.

"Really? Why's that?" Weiss played it cool. She couldn't fool him though, he heard the excitement in her voice.

"I… I wanted to ask you to the dance." He said hurriedly. "And I know, this is kinda last minute, and you might already have somebody, but-"

"Yes! I mean… I would love to go with you, yes." Blake rolled her eyes.

"Great! Umm… I'll pick you up at seven?"

"I'll be waiting."

"Fantastic."

Indeed it was.

* * *

"At least I don't have to wear heels." Ruby reasoned, making Jaune snort and Pyrrha laugh.

"So you'd rather be injured, than have to wear heels?" Pyrrha asked while laughing.

"I mean…" Ruby was unable to answer, making Pyrrha laugh more. The young leader blushed, embarrassed. The three of them decided to get in one last practice before the dance, mainly to once again help Ruby with her walk, or run now.

"I'm sure your date won't mind a bit." Jaune commented, making both Ruby and Pyrrha turn away. "What? Did I say something."

"I… Don't have a date. Which, I mean, isn't really surprising when Yang tries to kill anyone who gets near me." The reaper explained. Jaune nodded, a strange look in his eyes.

"That's… That's too bad. And you, Pyrrha?" Jaune looked to his partner.

"Nobody." She agreed. "Not many people have the courage to ask 'Pyrrha Nikos' to the dance."

"Ah…" He nodded. An awkward silence fell upon the three of them, all shifting in place.

"What about you, Jaune?" Pyrrha finally inquired after the silence became to much.

"Who, me? Nah. Nobody has the courage to ask 'Jaune Arc' to the dance either." Jaune joked, making him and his partner chuckle.

"What if we all went together?" Ruby spurted suddenly.

"What do you mean?" Jaune asked for clarification.

"To the dance, the three of us should go together." Jaune raised an eyebrow and Pyrrha concealed a nosebleed. Finally, Ruby realized what she said. "As friends! I meant as friends!" She declared, looking away. "Jeez… Get your minds out of the gutter."

"Sorry Ruby." Jaune chuckled. "I would love to go to the dance with you… As a friend."

"As would I." Pyrrha added after pulling herself back together.

"Great!" The young hunter yelled excitedly. "I'll pick you two up at seven?" She added in a macho-suave voice, barely containing her grin.

"We'll be waiting." Pyrrha said in her own suave voice, hiding her laughter.

"Fantastic."

Indeed it was.

* * *

Yang had offered to man the greeting desk because, frankly, she couldn't be bothered to put up with other people's shit today. If any pervert she tired to dance with even slightly touched her wrong, she would be liable to end their existence. Wanting to avoid a possible murder, Yang dutifully stood at her post, bored out of her mind.

Some couples came in awkwardly holding hands while being three feet apart. Those were the good ones, the ones that put a smile on Yang's face. Others came in silently, with perfect posture. It was always the rich kids that came in like this, like they were entering a death sentence and not a party. Weiss came in like this, but judging from what Yang heard behind her, Neptune loosened her up quick. These, too, made Yang laugh. However, there was one type of couple that yang didn't like. These were the couples that came in laughing, hand in hand. The ones that looked like they'd have a good time together no matter where it was they ended up. Those couples made Yang's blood boil. And of course, that was how Ruby, Pyrrha, and Jaune showed up. Hand in hand, laughing together.

"Welcome guys!" Yang did her signature happy greeting, suppressing her rage. Ruby stopped her chat with her two date and looked to her big sister.

"Hey Yang! Where's your date?" Yang shook her head, smiling over her urge to scowl.

"With Weiss going with Neptune, it's pretty much up to me to keep things running around here." Ruby frowned.

"But you love parties." Yang shook her head, clenching her fists under her podium.

"I'm telling you, it's fine. You just have enough fun for the both of us, huh?" Finally, Ruby relented.

"If you say so, Yang. Have a nice night." And with that, Yang's younger sister was gone, and she could finally release the anger burning inside of her.

Except… There's nothing. Yang… Wasn't angry. In fact, she was almost… Happy for her. Her antisocial sister had finally made friends, and Yang was supposed to be mad about it? What had she become? Yang has said it was to protect Ruby, but that was bullshit, wasn't it? Yang knew damn well that Jaune would die for her baby sister. The night on the docks all but confirmed it. So why did Yang feel the need to lash out, to break every bond Ruby had formed? And… She had even said Ruby wasn't ready to be leader, didn't she? Dear god, if Qrow or her dad found out about that, she would be grounded for life. What was wrong with her?

Was it… No, it couldn't be. But… What else? It didn't sound right, but it felt right. Was Yang-

The brawler's thoughts were cut off when three more people came to the entrance, prompting her to give her greeting.

"Welcome guys! You're right on time." Mercury grinned, with Emerald on his arm.

"We wouldn't miss it for the world." He commented as the pair walked inside. Behind them, Cinder Fall stood tall. Even with the brace on her arm, Cinder looked as sexy as ever. She even wore a dress that Yang wasn't sure she could pull off. Before she could avert her gaze, though, Cinder noticed Yang and their eyes locked.

A smirk. A wink. And she was gone.

"What an interesting woman."

* * *

From an outsiders point of view, the dance went off without a hitch. Everyone was dancing, talking, or just having a good time. From an insiders point of view, this was no different. Excluding the guards posted by Atlas and the students made to work the party, everyone felt that the night was going perfectly. With Cinder, Mercury, and Emerald feeling the same way, however, things were bound to go wrong. But before that, the attendees danced, and talked, and had a good time. As they should.

"The place looks great, Ruby. You did an excellent job." Pyrrha praised as she looked around the dance hall.

"Thanks, but I did next to nothing. It was actually Weiss and Yang that did most of the work." Ruby explained.

"The two of them were working together?" Jaune asked unbelievably. Ruby nodded.

"I know, I'm surprised as well." Ruby agreed. "I think it was because I was injured, that they decided to work together."

"No heels and Yang and Weiss cooperate? It seems things go your way when you get hurt." The champion joked.

"Yeah…" Ruby thought about it. "Maybe I should get hurt more often."

"Please don't." Both Jaune and Pyrrha said immediately. Ruby rolled her eyes.

"Relax guys, I'm joking. But anyway, I'm gonna go get some more punch. I'll be right back."

"Now's the time, Neo." Cinder ordered at the same moment over the radio. Neo couldn't respond back, meaning Cinder needed to have faith that the plan was working. How Roman ever worked with her, Cinder had no clue.

No matter. Neo had proved far more useful than Roman or Emerald combined, and Cinder knew she would get the job done. As for Cinder's part in all of this…

"Hello boys. My partners not hear yet… Would you care to dance with a lonely girl like me?" Cheesy, yes, but the Atlus soldiers always fell for it. Perhaps if Ironwood added a 'relief' package to the military, Cinder wouldn't be nearly as effective. Instead their will and training became putty in her had with a mere flash of the chest and a smile.

Next to the guards, standing at the wall, Blake Belladonna wasn't having quite as good a time as everyone else. When she first got there, her and Weiss danced, which was nice. But it soon became clear that Weiss' attention was on her blue haired suitor, and Blake was little more than a third wheel. So, Blake gave them space, deciding to watch them from afar like a stalker instead of directly approaching them.

It wasn't that the cat faunus was miserable by any means, the punch was good and the music wasn't obnoxious. She was just bored, plain and simple. Blake was happy that her best friend was clearly having the night of her life, but with Weiss being occupied, Blake had little else to do. So she stood, and she watched.

Of course, there was another emotion Blake felt as she stared at the two talking and drinking. One significantly less pure than the happiness for her friend. However, Blake wouldn't acknowledge it, not for the world. So she stood, and she watched.

Emerald too, stood and watched, though she was near the punch bowl. And damn, it was some good punch. Emerald really needed to find out who made it so she could get more. Ignoring that, she had a job to do, and it was coming up fast.

When Ruby Rose approached the punch bowl, Emerald sprung into action.

"Hey Ru- Oh!" Walking up to the girl and 'accidentally' tripping, Emerald spilled punch all over the leader of Team RWBY. She felt slightly bad for wasting the delicious beverage, but knew that if the plan was successful, her reward would be far more delicious than class of punch. "Oh my god! I am so sorry!" Emerald apologized profusely.

"It's alright." Ruby accepted the apology. "I can manage…" She rationalized before realizing how sticky the punch was. "Or… Maybe not. Umm…"

"Did I just ruin your night? Ugh! I feel like such an idiot right now, I'm so sorry!" Emerald kept apologizing.

"What? No, you didn't ruin my night. I'll just have to… Deal with this somehow." 'Suddenly' Emerald had an idea.

"Wait. Isn't your dorm really close to here? Are you able to go there and change then come back?"

"Oh yeah! That's a great idea. I'll be going then." The huntress said, walking away.

"Again, I'm sorry!" Emerald called out before Ruby was out of earshot. Then she smiled. Not soon after, Mercury joined up with her.

"So, shall we follow?" Mercury asked, holding out an arm for her to take.

"Gladly." The green haired girl took his arm, walking out the dance hall with Weiss and Neptune on their tails. The latter of the two were laughing and stumbling, and also being followed by a certain faunus.

Jaune, on not seeing Ruby's exit, suddenly got a bad feeling in the pit of his gut. One that led him right to the CCT. Excusing himself from his partner, Jaune exited the building like all the rest, getting more and more anxious at what was to come.

The remaining dancers were none the wiser.

* * *

Neo wasn't really one for dances, but this one she was excited for. Sure, there was no inherit gain from the mission given, but every step closer to Cinder's goal was a step closer to her revenge. Yeah, Neo could go on her own and kill the boy while she was here in Beacon, but that just wouldn't be satisfying. Neo wanted to take her time with the blonde, really savor his death. And besides, Roman died helping Cinder, the least Neo could do would be to see her plans to fruition.

The guards were almost too easy to get past. Teleport behind them, dead. Teleport in front of them, dead. Don't even teleport at all, dead. Neo had to wonder if it was the level of training these idiots got, or if she was just that good. While she loved to stroke her own ego, something told her it was the former.

Humming a silent tune, the petite warrior plugged in the device Cinder told her to and waited. She reclined in a chair with her feet disrespectfully on the desk, thinking about… Stuff.

Neo had never imagined being in this position. That is to say, without Roman. No, she wasn't stupid enough to think he would live forever, though with the way he acted, one could get that impression. It was just, Neo had saw the way he planned things out, the way he inspired loyalty in others. He seemed to know things before they happened. Whether it was instincts or intel, he always hit his mark.

But now he was dead. Killed by a random first year Beacon student. No fame. No glory. No going out with one final bang. First he was alive, and then he wasn't.

Neo frowned and shook her head. There was no time for this, petty reminiscing. There were things to be done and she was going to do them. From her seat, she saw elevator begin to rise to her floor. Someone was coming. And from the looks of Cinder's 'thingy,' Neo would have to face them.

It wouldn't be to hard, though. Maybe instead of killing them outright, she'd play around a little bit and enjoy herself. Then once the download- upload?- was complete, she'd kill the person and dash. That was the idea, at least. The idea that was complete thrown out the window when she stopped that damn blonde hair.

Her vision went red.

* * *

"Are we really doing this?" Mercury asked his partner as they sat in the bushes, waiting.

"Yes. Now stop asking." Emerald responded once again.

"She's not going to appreciate the gesture. No matter what you tell yourself." He pointed out hopelessly. She wouldn't budge.

"Just shut up and do what I tell you." The mint haired girl ordered do finally. "She's coming back. Get your mask on." Mercury rolled his eyes.

"I'm not that stu-"

"Shut the fuck up!" She whisper yelled. "Let's go."

As the pair couldn't exactly attack Ruby in their dress clothes, they resorted to waiting for the young girl to walk back to the party in her new dress. Yes, it was a gamble whether or not she would even come back, much less use the same path as before, but it all paid off in the end. Just as the huntress passed the bushes where Mercury and Emerald were, they jumped out, trying to get in a surprise attack.

Only thanks to Ruby's semblance, did she manage to get out of the way in time, but was quickly forced onto the defensive by her foes.

"Who are you people!" She shouted as she dodged attacks. However, she received no answer. The masks worn covered each face thoroughly and the weapons used were generic spares they had lying around. Mercury has convince Emerald not to use her semblance- just in case something went wrong and she was discovered- which was the only reason Ruby was still alive.

Pulling out her scroll, she called her locker to her. While she could flee and escape easily, Ruby considered no such action. She was a huntress, and she would never run away from criminals. Especially not when they could hurt others that didn't have her same reflexes. No, Ruby would stay and fight for justice.

At least, she would as soon as her scythe showed up.

 _ **CRASH!**_

And there it was now.

* * *

Blake didn't know why she followed the two love birds from the dance, but the pit in her stomach had gotten worse when she saw them leave. No. That was a lie. Blake knew exactly why she followed Weiss and Neptune. Of course in her head, she claimed this was all to make sure Weiss was okay. But in reality… Blake still wouldn't acknowledge the truth.

Instead of heading towards the dorms like Blake expected them to go, Neptune seemed to be leading Weiss away from the dorms and closer to the outskirts of the school. An odd choice, unless someone wanted privacy. The pit grew even worse.

"-know you want me, Snow Angel…" With her super hearing, Blake was able to pick up pieces of their conversation. Hiding around a corner, Blake peered to see Weiss on a wall with Neptune over her.

"I don't- hic- know… I don't really know you that well…"

"Oh, don't be like that. Who says we need to know each other? Your hot, I'm hot. That's all we need." Blake could practically hear the smirk in his voice.

"I'm not some- hic- slut. I don't just put out for people." Neptune shook his head.

"So noble. As expected from a Schnee. I used to like that about you, but now it's just annoying." His voice turns cold, making Blake curl a fist. "How about just a little kiss, and we'll see from there?"

"Actually… No."

"Grr… Don't be like this, Weiss."

"I don't want to. I'm not ready for- hic- that kind of relationship."

"How can you talk like this drunk? I must've not put enough alcohol in the punch." Immediately, alarms went off in Blake's head, but she didn't react to them soon enough.

"Just- hic- go away. I'll find my own way back to my- hic- room." Weiss decided, trying feebly to push Neptune off of her. Instantly, he grabbed her hands and pulled them towards himself, getting close to her face.

"I spent a lot of time pining after you. Could've gotten laid at least five times by now, but no!" He spoke aggressively into her ear. "It's too late to go back now. This is happening whether you like it or- Argh!"

The aggressor was thrown off the heiress when a boot hit his face. Yes, she wore boots with her dress, and yes, it was completely worth it.

"Blake?" Weiss asked confused. Turning to her close friend, Blake's rage was surprised for a moment so that she could make one statement.

"Pull me off him before I commit murder." The Faunus said simply. She then proceeded to jump on the blue haired boy, and start pounding.

It would be a long while before Weiss told her to stop.

* * *

Instantly, Neo disappeared from Jaune's vision. Only with his years of training, was he to dodge out of the way as she reappeared behind him and tried to flay him. Before he could rebuff her attack, she disappeared again, only to pull the same trick.

On and on it went. An attack from above, the side, one at the feet. In every conceivable direction, Neo tried to kill him. She wasn't making much progress, but his defense wasn't air tight either. Slowly, the scratches began to build up and bruises began to form.

Jaune tried the entire time to establish a connection in order to drain the attacker of her aura, but to little success. She rarely stayed in one place long enough, and even if she did, would soon teleport away. Battles of attrition nearly always went in his favor, but this time… He wasn't so sure.

Neo's rage nearly blinded her as she assaulted the Beacon student. Nearly. She was rational enough to at least realize that the battle wasn't tilting in anyone's favor, which just made her more angry. Things were taking too long, she needed him incapacitated now.

One idea did strike her while she dodged yet another blow. It was risky, but fitting. The irony of it was too tantalizing to pass up, and she knew that if Roman was still alive, he'd love the plan. Seeing that the file-thing was done doing whatever it was meant to do, Neo grabbed it and disappeared from the battlefield.

Jaune was instantly on guard, looking around in every direction for the intruder. Making his way to the center of the room, he lowered his defenses slightly, thinking the battle was finally over. Of course, in that same instant, Neo appeared in between him and the window. Jaune whipped around to see straight down the barrel of a distinct cane-gun. Without hesitation, Neo pulled the trigger.

 _ **BANG!**_

The leader of Team JNPR flew across the room, smashing into the main terminal before he stopped. Trying to shake off the daze, Jaune instantly recognized that he had barely any active aura left. His reserves were fine, but the shot did massive damage. Perhaps it had something to do with the fact that he couldn't see out of one eye, but that wasn't important right now. What was important, was the fact that she was standing over him, about to do it again.

Finally able to reach out and feel her aura, he pulled as much of it away as he could just as she pulled the trigger. Not taken by surprise this time, the damage was far less than the previous shot. Still, though, it sent him flying right into the elevator.

Now Jaune was mad. No, he was pissed. This was the same person who tried to the save Torchwick. The same person working with Cinder. The same person who put a blade straight through Ruby's leg, and he was just going to let her beat the shit out of him? No. This was ending here and now. Not even registering General Ironwood's presence next to him, Jaune picked himself up and charged at Neo.

Still out of it from a good portion of her aura being suddenly drained, Neo had no time to react as Jaune piledrived her past the still intact computer terminals and straight out the window.

Reacting on instinct, Neo teleported to the last safe place she had been to, unwittingly bringing Jaune for the ride. The two stumbled into her office, coughing. She had nothing left, and by the looks of it, Jaune didn't have much left either. Lifting Roman's Cane with her remaining strength, she aimed it at the boy she hated more than anyone else in her existence. She had done some modifications to the weapon, making it much more destructive, and practically guaranteeing her enemy's death.

Taking one look at her weapon, Jaune's eyes widened in fear, as he seemed to realize the direness of his situation. Neo smiled. She was saddened that she couldn't torture him to death, but that face made it all worth it.

Pulling the trigger, Jaune Arc instantly disappeared with the sound of breaking glass, as she blew away one of her walls. Fury ran through her body moments before she passed out, and if she had enough energy, everyone in the building would have been dead.

When soon as she woke back up, they would be.

On the opposite side of Vale, Jaune reappeared before a bewildered general at the top of the CCT. For all his aura, even Jaune was not immune to the effects of exhaustion, and he unknowingly passed out exactly the same time Neo did.

The battle was over. For now.

* * *

The disappearance of her two friends left Pyrrha a little confused. One moment, they were having a grand old time, and the next, she was standing there awkward and alone, wondering where Ruby and Jaune had gotten to. She made quite a few rounds around the dance hall, in search of them, even stopping to ask Ren and Nora if they knew anything, but it didn't help. She tried upstairs and the outside area, but still, nothing.

Finally, she asked the person she dreaded to ask, only to get the answer she dreaded to hear. Yang informed her that both of her dance companions had left. Thankfully, it wasn't as bad as it sounded. They had left alone and Ruby was only going to get another dress. Though… Neither of them had returned… Which presented an issue. Making a decision she hoped she didn't regret, Pyrrha decided to make her way to Team RWBY's room, to see how Ruby was doing.

On her way, terrible scenarios ran through her head, mostly involving Ruby and Jaune being together. Then she was berating herself for thinking that would be terrible and not supporting her two dear friends. Then the thought occurred to her that Jaune and Ruby, too, were dear friends. And the vicious cycle continued.

So engrossed in thought, Pyrrha nearly missed the clanging of metal and sounds of a fight until she was right near the clearing it took place in. Shaking herself from her thoughts, Pyrrha glanced around the corner to look for what the cause of the commotion was.

Of course it was Ruby. Either it was Ruby or Jaune, every single time. Pyrrha had to take a moment to ponder just what was it about those to that would draw danger to them so often. In that moment, however, the fight was still going on, and the status quo was changing.

Ruby, though she was a prodigy, was still a first year at Beacon. And such, only had the experience of a first year at Beacon. Emerald and Mercury, on the other hand, had years of experience under their belts with Cinder, and even more so from before Cinder. The result of the fight was immediately obvious to all participants, all the more mere moments after Pyrrha arrived.

Finally managing to trip the young huntress up with a subtle use of Emerald's semblance- much to Mercury's annoyance- Ruby fell before the two with a thud, losing her grip on her weapon. This was it, Emerald's master plan fulfilled. Now, Cinder would love her far more than that Neo bitch. All she had to do was make one final swing.

"Nooo!" Someone screamed, as Emerald's metal chestplate glowed black. Before she knew it, she was thrown into the air, only to land far, far away. With the attackers gone, Pyrrha ran to Ruby with a mix of worry and shame. To think that while Ruby was fighting for her life, Pyrrha was getting jealous. How could she not be shamed?

Rolling over the reaper only made the shame all the more present. There Ruby was, in her lap, battered, bloody, and broken. Coughing, Ruby managed to smile.

"You saved me." She said as happily as she could. "With you and Jaune, that makes- cough- two knights in shining armour that I have now." Pyrrha wanted to respond that it was what friends did for each other, but she couldn't bring herself to say the word. Instead, she wiped some dirt of her friend's face and tried her best to smile along with Ruby.

"Always." Pyrrha vowed. "I'll always be your knight in shining armour." Was it a vow made in shame? Yes. But could it be said that shame was the only driving force in the promise? Not even close. Ruby and Jaune had made Pyrrha the happiest she had ever been in years. Now, instead of jealousy and assumptions, Pyrrha would protect Ruby with all her strength. It was the least she could do, and she was practically doing that now anyways. Now, things were a little more official, at least to Pyrrha.

Would Ruby be the end of her? Probably. Did she mind that? Not in the slightest.

* * *

Jaune woke up to the most wonderful sight in the world, at least, to him. Ruby sat on a chair next to his bed in the hospital ward, sleeping on his lap. Beaming, he reached out and petted her head. Vaguely, he noticed that his entire body hurt tremendously, especially his left eye, but he paid no mind to that. Roused by his petting, Ruby finally awoke.

"Mph? I don't wanna wake up…" She pouted, not realizing where she was.

"You can go back to sleep if you'd like, Ruby." Jaune offered, continuing his petting.

"Thanks Jaune… Wait… Jaune?"

"Yes?"

"Did I fall asleep on your lap?"

"Yes." Suddenly, she shot up from her position, face as red as her cloak.

"Jaune! Your awake!" Ruby pointed out the obvious in order to redirect the conversation, but Jaune wasn't having it.

"As I you." He pointed out, making her blush more. "How long was I out?"

"About a week or so. If you didn't have so much aura, you would have probably been asleep for much longer." Ruby explained. "I'm glad your okay. You really gave everyone a scare back there, not that I did any different." She muttered the last part, so Jaune didn't hear.

"A week? Geez…" He gave her a mischievous glare. "You haven't been slacking off, have you?" Ruby sat up straight, looking a little proud of herself.

"No, actually. I have not. Pyrrha's been training me a lot."

"Pyrrha knows how to use a scythe?" Jaune asked, confused.

"No, and at first she was unsure what to help me with. But then I told her that I wanted to eventually make a scythe like my uncle's, that transformed into a sword, and she started teaching me how to use that." Ruby told him excitedly, but he could tell she was leaving off some details. Years of friendship and eventually marriage with a person really let you notice their 'tells.'

"Alright, what are you hiding?" He pressed without any seriousness. He instantly knew it wasn't serious when she blushed some more.

"I… May have been using Crocea Mors in my spars with Pyrrha." She managed to get out, clearly flustered. Before he could say anything, though, she instantly tried to explain herself. "I know it's a family heirloom, and that it's really special to you, and I'm really sorry for using it, I just saw that it had about the same weight as my scythe sword would have and I thought it would be useful to already know what my sword would feel when using it which is why I didn't want to use any of the practice swords but I should have asked you first and not have used it when you were sleeping I just-"

"Ruby!" She squeaked- yes, squeaked- and looked at him. "It's fine. Hell, if I had an extra weapon, I would tell you to keep it." The young huntress was clearly shocked.

"B- But didn't you say you wanted to pass it down to your children?"

"Yeah, and their mother would do the same." At this, Ruby was thrown completely for a loop.

"Did you just-?"

"What?"

"But you said-?"

"What did I say?"

"With me-?"

"I don't know what you're referring to."

"But-"

"You'll have to be more specific." Red as a tomato, Ruby looked away.

"I… Nevermind…"

"Anyway," Jaune said, coyly changing the subject. "What else have you been up to?"

"Well, when I'm not training with Pyrrha or doing school work, I'm either here or helping Weiss and Blake on their 'White Fang Crusade.'" Ah yes, the White Fang. They were still a thing, weren't they?

"And how goes the 'Crusade?'"

"Not very good, actually. We can't seem to find any more leads, and after last time's 'incident,' they've stopped having open recruitment meetings." Jaune's blood ran cold and he frowned. That wasn't right. By this point, they were supposed to at least know about Mountain Glenn, maybe more. But they didn't and never would, unless…

"Mountain Glenn." Jaune said solemnly. Was he really about to do this? Throw her in harm's way?

"What's that?"

"When I was fighting with Neo, we at one point teleported to some place outside of Beacon. It looked like an office of sorts. I wasn't there for long, but I did see that location on a map, with the White Fang symbol near it." Apparently he was. What the hell was wrong with him? After doing this, he felt like he deserved to die by Neo's hand.

"Really?! We'll look into it, but thank you so much! I'm sure Weiss and Blake will be ecstatic to hear about it and-"

"Ruby."

"Yeah?"

"I want you to keep Crocea Mors, sheath and all. I need to make a new weapon anyway."

"What? But what about-" Before she could go on another rant, he stopped her with a hug.

"Ruby?" He whispered in her ear.

"Yeah?" She whispered back.

"Keep the sword. For me."

"Okay, Jaune."

He hugged her a little tighter, afraid that if he let go, he'd lose her forever.

* * *

Yang sat on a stool in Junior's bar, sighing. This was the forth time in a row she'd been there. The alcohol helped her to not feel as cold inside. She'd convinced herself that she came for the party and the atmosphere, but that was bullshit. The people here avoided her like the plague, and if they didn't, she'd teach them to.

Unlike the previous nights, however, a woman sat next to her without paying her any mind.

"A glass of whisky, no ice." The woman ordered, voice clearly strained.

"Someone's stressed, huh?" Yang remarked, gaining the woman's attention.

"It's been a long week." She said simply, making Yang nod.

"Ain't that the truth." Yang agreed. They then fell into a comfortable silence. Surprisingly, it was the woman who broke that silence.

"Your… Yang Xiao-Long, right? I recognize you from Beacon."

"The one and only." Yang introduced herself.

"What's a girl like you doing at a bar like this? Not a very 'huntress' friendly place."

"Team problems." Yang remarked offhandedly. "Though, I could ask you the same question." The woman looked at her drink.

"Team problems." She harkened back to Yang's response. Then, her eyes seemed to glow a bit brighter and she looked back to Yang. "I haven't introduced myself, have I?"

"Yeah, but I already know who you are."

"Still, it's only right that I do." The woman said, holding out a hand to shake. "Cinder Fall, at your service."

* * *

 **Full honesty here, this is the first chapter that I'm really unsure about. As you could probably tell, there was a shit ton of set up here and not much conclusive action. With most takes of the dance I've seen, it's practically the opposite, so that's one point against me.**

 **Of course, another thing is the importance of this chapter. Here, where the true plot points really start to make themselves known, I want to hear your opinions. Did anything feel forced? Aside from Pyrrha and Ruby's bond, I felt that everything else was fairly solid. But again, I want to hear your opinion on the matter.**

 **All in all, if you were ever going to review this story, please review this chapter. Obviously, this one's an important one.**

 **Oh, and I'm sure people will hate Yang's arc even more now, but I still don't care.**

 **The forth scene really jumps all over the place, but I wanted to try something new with all the transitioning instead of just cutting from person to person to make five really short scene. Tell me what you thought of it. Yet another reason to leave a review.**

 **There wasn't much in terms of review questions last time around, so that's the end of this Author's Note. Thanks to everyone who reviewed anyhow.**

 **One more chapter, then everything gets crazy.**

 **Reviews always welcome. Until next time,**

 **-RMV**


	18. Nearly There

"This should have been done sooner, Ozpin." James accused as he paced around the office. "Waiting this long to interrogate a suspect is just foolish."

"Dealing with an assassination attempt is a traumatic experience, not just for a student but for anyone." Glynda reminded harshly. "It would simply be immoral to rio her away from her friends and family during their time of healing. And need I remind you, this is not an interrogation and Ms. Rose is not a suspect."

"Everyone's a suspect, Glynda. Just because they're kids, doesn't mean-"

"I will hear no more of it." Ozpin interjected with more calm than would be expected. "Ms. Rose is Qrow Branwen's niece, so her loyalty is not in question. As for Mr. Arc…"

"I find the Arc suspicious. Regardless of his family name, he was a terrible fighter. Then all of a sudden, he came back one day with the power to rival Pyrrha Nikos! And don't forget, this was after he killed twenty seven White Fang members and Roman Torchwick." Ironwood ranted. "If this school was up to Atlas standards, flags would have been raised for behavior like this."

"James, do you have alerts in place at your school for kids doing too well?" Glynda questioned. Both men ignored her.

"I have taken a special interest in Mr. Arc, enough to know that his loyalties lie with us. Having said that, James, weren't you the one who witnessed him charge a known terrorist off the top of the CCT?" Ozpin pointed out. At this, Ironwood at least had the decency to look away for a moment.

"That- That means nothing. It could have been a set up to trick us, or-"

"His eye, James, his eye."

"…" Ironwood shut up and Ozpin smirked.

"They'll be here any second, so I suggest that this conversation ends now."

"We'll continue this later." Ironwood added just as the elevator doors opened up. From them walked- or stumbled- Jaune and Ruby, one slightly leaning in the other. Jaune's left eye was still bandaged, but Ruby didn't seem to have any remaining signs of damage.

"Sorry if we're late." Ruby prefessed. "Someone hit all the buttons on the elevator… It wasn't us!" Jaune just chuckled at that, but didn't say anything.

"I'm glad you two could make it. Please just bare through it as we ask you some questions about the night of the dance." Glynda reassured. Immediately, James launched into his questions.

"Mr. Arc, what were you doing at the CCT?"

"Ruby went to get a glass of punch, but didn't come back. I was worried so I went out looking for her. When I came across the knocked out guards, I knew something was wrong and that Ruby was somehow involved, like always." Ruby blushed and gave an abashed look. "And before you ask, no, I didn't call for help because if Ruby had been in danger, I wouldn't have wanted to waste any time." Jaune's answer was clear and crisp, with not a hint of a lie in it. Yet at the same time, something felt… Off about it, like it had almost been 'rehearsed.'

"Alright," Ironwood continued. "Near the end of your fight with Neopolitan Torchwick, I personally witnessed you fall off the CCT with her, only to reappear back on top without her. Can you explain what happen in your disappearance. It is well known that Neopolitan has a teleportation semblance of some kind."

"I don't really remember what happened after I fell off. I can't really remember anything after I got shot in the face the first time. Sorry." Now this was the truth, the full truth. Sure, he vaguely remembered something about an office and being in the air, but it really wasn't important.

"Thank you for your cooperation. Now, Ms. Rose. Did you happen to see any physical features about your attackers. Hair, eyes-"

"Hold on. What attackers?" Jaune interrupted Ironwood before he could ask the first question. The adults looked at him with raised eyebrows while Ruby paled and looked away.

"I… May have forgotten to tell you that… Two people tried to assassinate me?" Jaune froze, making Ruby even more uncomfortable.

"Oh." Jaune said finally. "That's… Not good."

"No… It's not." Ruby agreed like a huntress trying to walk into a Grimm nest. Jaune just closed his eye and looked away. Ignoring that drama, Ironwood turned back to Ruby.

"Anyway, did you see the attackers, their faces?" The general pressed.

"No, I didn't see anything." Ruby responded.

"Well, did you hear anything? Maybe they boasted something during your fight."

"N-" The young huntress looked to Jaune, who wouldn't meet her eye. "Actually, yes. One of them said something about 'Mt. Glenn.'" Jaune flinched at the name, but no one noticed.

"Mountain Glenn…" Ironwood muttered to himself. "Very interesting… You two are dismissed." The two students gave him a look and then turned to Ozpin.

"Thank you for your cooperation. You may leave." On these parting words, the pair left the office.

* * *

Why did the White Fang have to be such morons? It would at least make her punishment that more bearable had they been half way competent. These were some of the thoughts running through Emerald's mind as she watched over operations in Mt. Glenn.

Cinder was… Not very happy with Emerald's little stunt back at the dance, so here she was, dealing with idiots in a dank, dark cavern. Truly, the worst part of all of this was Mercury's 'I told you so' look as Cinder berated her. Actually, no, the worst part was Cinder's beratement itself. Emerald never enjoyed failing Cinder, and she knew if she did, there'd be quite the punishment for it. This time was slightly different. Yes, she was yelled at, and yes, there was a punishment, but… Nothing more. Instead of being hit or burned like Emerald had come to expect from her mistress, it was only disappointment. Like Cinder had made a bad investment in her. Which led her to the actual worst part of this punishment, Neo.

At every turn, that multicolored bitch seemed to be in Emerald's way, taunting the mint haired girl about how Cinder liked her more. It was infuriating, and it made Emerald's rage boil to no end. Putting up with Neo was one thing, but working under her? That was a whole new fresh hell to deal with. Thoughts of Neo clouded Emerald's mind as she spent her days thinking about how she would get her revenge. The petite bitch had it coming.

On the other side of the compound, the petite bitch in question wasn't nearly as focused on her green counterpart. Instead, Neo was busy organizing the dust cars and planning out the route they would take through the tunnels. Sure, she had taunted Emerald once or twice, but for the most part, she left that annoyance alone. What was the use in poking sleeping dogs? They would only wake up and start tapping away at you unless you put then down for good. Something Neo had considered, but for the most part brushed off. Emerald would have to do a lot more than that to get on her radar.

No, Neo gave her attention to Mt. Glenn, and the project within. This was supposed to be Roman's job. Then he would get captured, sit pretty in a cell for a while, and wait for Neo to bust him out and save the day. Of course, all of that had gone to the shitter with his death, and plans had to be changed. They already had the dust gathered, so it was decided that they'd go for the train ride anyway, just to sow general discourse throughout the city.

Immoral? Probably. Did Neo care? Not in the slightest.

* * *

He did it again, fucked up grandly. Here he was sending Ruby to confront the White Fang when, meanwhile, someone had tried to assassinate her! Well, he said someone, but he meant Cinder. Ever since he broke her arm things had been going bad for him, but it seemed the full extent of his punishment had yet to be seen. It was just… What was he supposed to do?!

He'd tried to stay out of it all and follow the story like last time. It didn't work. Then he tried to be Ruby's mentor and help her out. That clearly hadn't worked either. Whenever he tried his best, he failed, and whenever he just went with the flow, he still failed! No matter what he did, it seemed he was doomed to fail and hurt the ones he loved. Was… Was he in hell?

Looking up from his position on the sidelines, he shook his head. No, he wasn't in hell. Not if the sweaty, sparring bodies of Ruby Rose and Pyrrha Nikos had anything to say about it. Blocking a blow, Ruby twisted Crocea Mors around and went on the offensive. Already, she was better with the blade than he was when he first arrived at Beacon. At least he did that right.

Heh. The one thing he did right was letting Pyrrha take over Ruby's training? Ironic how that worked out. First, Pyrrha taught Jaune, and now, she taught Ruby. Maybe the invincible girl's second pupil would be able to do her proud. Her first one certainly didn't.

Regardless, there was something comforting in Ruby fighting with Crocea Mors. The way her body methodically moved back and forth as she went in and out of position almost entranced him in its beauty. There had been times when he had used Crescent Rose, but those almost always ended bloodily- for both parties involved. The opposite could be said for Ruby, who seemed to be a nature at this style of fighting, making Jaune just a little happier he was able to keep her safe. At least she could protect herself. Though… That protection came at a cost. Namely, the loss of his protection. He'd have to use one of the school's loaners until he was able to make something new. A little annoying but…

He glanced up to see Ruby attack with Crocea Mors.

...It was worth it.

* * *

"This is pointless." Blake growled as she went through the papers once more. "It's all just 'Grand Opening' and 'Grand Closing.' There's nothing here about possible hiding spots for the White Fang."

"There was no guarantee." Weiss reminded. "Ruby said it was a lead, but nothing more. It… Could just be a dead end."

"No. I refuse to believe that. Something's going at Mt. Glenn. I can feel it…" Weiss scoffed slightly.

"What are we supposed to do about your 'feeling?'"

"There's only one thing we can do." Blake resolved. "We need to go to Mt. Glenn ourselves." Instantly, the heiress paled.

"Let's not jump to anything drastic. There is still one more thing we can do."

"What?" The Faunus asked with an eyebrow raised. Weiss looked around hesitantly.

"We can talk to Professor Oobleck…" She offered. Blake just stared at her for a bit. Weiss gave a nervous smile and Blake caved.

"Fine."

At Weiss' behest, the two girls tracked down their hyperactive teacher with the purpose of actually learning something from him for once. Surprisingly, he Professor was inordinately hard to track 'd get a glimpse of him, but before they could confront him he'd zip away off to somewhere else.

Their wild goose chase finally came to an end when they cornered him trying to refill his cup of coffee.

"Ah! Ms. Belladonna, Ms. Schnee. To what do I owe the pleasure?" Professor Oobleck rushes to say in his signature style. Composing herself, Weiss was the first to speak.

"Well, Professor-"

"Doctor! I didn't get a PHD just to be called Professor." Weiss gave him a strange look, but continued on anyway.

"Doctor, Blake and I had recently come across a place called Mt. Glenn, and we wanted to know what you thought on the topic." All of a sudden, the air went cold and Oobleck gained a hard look.

"Mt. Glenn… That's a name I haven't heard in a long time…"

"Do you know of it?" Blake urged.

"Mhm… Indeed I do…" He wasn't speaking at a hundred miles per hour anymore, somewhat confusing the students before him.

"Well, what can you tell us about it?" Weiss pressed with caution. The man took off his glasses and looked away.

"I'm glad to see you two girls have found an interest in history. I suppose I can fill you in with my expertise. Mt. Glenn was… A tragedy, plain and simple. Sadly, it was doomed from the start without the natural barriers of Vale to protect it. As the City's first large expansion project, the overwhelming of the region by Grimm contributed to a huge blow to the moral of the people and subsequently shut down any further expansion projects."

"What exactly happened?" Blake asked for clarification. If possible, Oobleck's speech became even more bleak.

"Thousands rushed to the region in search of new opportunities and treasures to discover. THe mere building of the city was enough to employ thousands. As the homes were completed, family's started pouring in, merely increasing the population. For the first year, there was prosperity. If only you could have seen it, girls. The pristine new sky rises, the joyous people and huntsmen proudly calling themselves citizens of Mt. Glenn. Truy, it was a momentous occasion." He paused, to regain himself.

"Then… The enthusiasm tittered out. Migration to the region came to a near halt, employment opportunities dropped, and people simply stopped caring. It was 'old news,' as you can say. Plenty kept their pride, but most just used the subway into Vale if they wanted anything. Finally, the day came. Mt. Glenn had been understocked for huntsmen and the mundanity of everyday life made people complacent before the strike. Thousands of Grimm clashed with tens of huntsmen on that day… Only two survived."

"Did you… Know anybody in the city?" Weiss inquired, seeing the state he was in.

"An old teammate of mine, back in the academy. He was an enthusiastic man, one of those 'Mt. Glenn Pridefuls' I mentioned. I had visited him only three days before the attack… But our conversation ended sourly… His body was never found, and every year I take students out on there to see if I can find his weapon and give him the burial he deserves." Oobleck put back on his glasses and looked at the two up and coming huntresses, his serious tone not fading.

"Reasons like that are why we fight, girls. We fight for our family, our friends. For their safety and longevity. Never forget that. The war is not nations against nations, or humans against faunus. It is life against death itself… And it's a shame nobody seems to realize that nowadays. Not until it's too late for them…"

There was a reason Weiss and Blake had come to Oobleck, but that didn't seem like the biggest concern. Oobleck had given them something to think on, and before either could get past it, the Doctor had already walked away.

* * *

It had been a few days since that stupid brace was taken off her arm, but Cinder had yet to have a decent fight in that time. After being humiliated by Arc, she was itching for a good old fashioned beatdown, with a little challenge thrown into the mix. Normally, she'd have asked Emerald to spar and use her semblance, but… That wasn't happening anytime soon. And without his partner's backup, Mercury was practically useless against her. No, Cinder needed someone new…

"Oh hey Cinder, were you planning on fighting today?" A welcome voiced asked from behind. Cinder spun around and gave a smile.

"Indeed, Yang. But unfortunately, I don't have anyone to fight. Or, no one to give me a challenge." Yang's eyes lit up and Cinder suppressed a smirk. Too easy.

"If you want a challenge… Well, I can give you one of those. But be warned, I might be a little more than you can handle." The blonde bombshell warned, cracking her knuckles. Cinder chuckled.

"Oh, I'm sure I can handle all of you."

The two beauties approached either side of the arena and made themselves ready. Yang loaded up her gauntlets while Cinder notched an arrow. The two stared at each other, sizing each other up. And with a silent exchange of readiness, they began the duel.

Expectedly, Yang tried to close the gap between the two of them first and foremost. Cinder wasn't having it, and launched a volley of arrows before moving to a safer location. Already, Yang's Aura had depleted slightly when she was hit with the dust explosion.

"What was that you said about 'not being able to handle you?'" Cinder smirked. This was to release stress, but that didn't mean she couldn't have some fun with it. Yang clearly agreed.

"Come a little closer, and I'll show you exactly what aim was talking about."

"Hmm… I could, but that would only ruin the fun, no?" Yang nodded in agreement.

"Foreplay is important." The girl said offhandedly, making Cinder laugh aloud. At the same time, though, the fire wielded notched and fired a few more arrows.

Yang dodged, still taking some residual damage, and fired a barrage of shotgun shells from her wrists. Cinder blocked most of them, but with the advances Yang made while they were talking, the gap between them finally closed. As Cinder detached her bow into a sword pair, an idea suddenly came to her, and she grinned internally.

"So. How's Beacon been for one of the topmost students?" The mastermind asked between attacks.

"So you've heard of my achievements?" Yang joked. "It's been… Alright. Annoying at times, but certainly never boring." She eventually answered the question.

"No, never boring. I've seen the news, you certainly know how to pack a punch." Cinder agreed with a wink. "Though I think other teams would have to disagree with you. You'll never hear about Team CRDL fighting terrorists on the news. Your team is just… Special."

"That's me, a special gal." Yang said as she perfectly blocked an oncoming sword slice.

"Have you ever thought about why?"

"Huh?" Yang was thrown for a loop, allowing Cinder to gain the upper hand.

"Ozpin is oftly found of your team, especially your silver eyed sister." Cinder pointed out.

"What does Ozpin have to do with Ruby, the White Fang, or Neo?" Grappling Yang, Cinder managed to bring the two to the ground, where their faces nearly met- and Cinder's blade was at Yang's throat. Silence fell as both well endowed women pressed against each other. Cinder leaned down, and their faces nearly touched. Suddenly, Cinder gained her signature coy smile.

"You're a smart girl, you'll figure it out." The dark haired beauty replies simply, releasing Yang from her hold and sashaying away from the arena. Yang just laid there, confused- among other thing- at what exactly just happened.

Putting her head in her hands, she groaned.

"Why can't anything ever be easy!"

* * *

Just like the last time around, Ozpin made his speech the many hunter teams staying at Beacon, then sent them all off for their first actual mission. To Jaune's displeasure, Ozpin once again bent the rules for Team RWBY, allowing them to go to Mt. Glenn for their mission. Of all the things that had the stay the same throughout the timelines, it just had to be that, didn't it?

So there Jaune stood, sending Ruby and the others off on their mission, a great fear in his heart, and the weight of guilt on his shoulders. There was nothing he could do now besides wait for the inevitable call for help, though it killed him to do so.

"Come along, children! We have a bullhead to catch and Grimm to kill!" Oobleck shouted excitedly from said bullhead. Only Yang gathered her things and headed off towards the ship, not bothering to say goodbye to people she could barely stand. Jaune sighed. He supposed that was his fault as well.

"I can't believe you guys are already leaving!" Nora cried. "Jaune picked a mission that wouldn't start for another week!" That he did, not wanting to chance missing Ruby's call for help. With all the variables that had changed since he arrived at Beacon, who's to say that they wouldn't discover the White Fang for another three days instead of two like the first time? When the time came, he would be ready.

"Yeah, well, it was a little sudden, but Team RWBY can handle anything!" Ruby declared with confidence. With Crescent Rose at her back and Crocea Mors to her side, she looked absolutely adorable and ready for anything. And hopefully, she was.

"This is your first big mission, so don't get to cocky. Remember to always be on guard." Pyrrha advised, making Ruby stand at attention out of habit.

"Don't worry," Weiss comforted Pyrrha's fears. "We'll be extremely careful and won't brashly run into any danger, right Blake?" The faunus blushed after being called out and turned away from them, mumbling something about the White Fang.

"Girls! It's time to leave!" Oobleck gave his final call to leave and the RWB of Team RWBY started grabbing their things to move out. Before getting into the bullhead, however, Ruby looked back and waved at them one last time. Finally, she got in the ship and flew away.

There was silence for a moment, Jaune and Pyrrha let it persist, but Ren could tell Nora was getting annoyed at them just standing around., so he was the first to break it.

"I'm sure they'll be okay." Ren tried to comfort his fellow teammates. It was a good try, but certainly not enough for Jaune.

"She better be." Both he and Pyrrha said at once. The partners looked to each other, and Jaune's eyes met with ones filled of devotion. She stared at him a little while longer- the eyes burned into his soul- and she walked away without a word.

Somehow, someway, it felt like… Like she knew what he had done, and was judging him for it. He didn't like the thought.

Perhaps it was a sign of his growing insanity, but Pyrrha's look has changed his resolve. Perhaps- if he was dead set on not missing the chance to help Ruby- Jaune would go to Mt. Glenn a bit early, and simply… 'Watch over' the others as they completed their mission. Yeah… That sounded like a plan.

For Ruby.

* * *

 **I wasn't very happy with this chapter, as it is just filler, but there's not much I can do about it. Writing this chapter just made me want to write the next one and skip over all of this completely, but that wouldn't exactly work. The next two chapters should hopefully make up for this one and I'm really excited to get them to you.**

 **I was originally going to write out Ozpin's speech and Team RWBY getting the mission, but it would've been too similar to the show and not the important in the grand scheme of things. Sure, the chapters a bit short now, but the padding wouldn't have been worth it.**

 **Review stuff:**

 **Yeah... The Neptune thing. I get it. I could've gone about that development in a way better way, but once I get ideas in my head, it's hard for me to look past them.**

 **Yeah, Jaune killed a bunch of people. But you have to think about who he killed and in what context. Team RWBY was fighting the White Fang when Jaune showed up and they were losing. For all intents and purposes, they thought it was the end for them. That they would die at the hands of a terrorist organization. Then Jaune flies in out of nowhere, kills a bunch of people and practically single-handly saves the day. The school nor the police would try and punish you for killing terrorists who were about to kill your friends. And for killing a public menace like Roman, the consequences are even less so. To the minds of Vale, he just did them a great service. Now, the people in the school, who know how crazy of a feat that was for Jaune to pull off, will be scared, but to others he's a public hero!**

 **That's all I'll say on the subject.**

 **Yes, I'm making the final a two part-er, but if Rooster Teeth can make their final a four part-er, I can half that.**

 **Reviews always welcome, and until next time,**

 **-RMV**


	19. One Wild Ride Part One

No Zwei. No Crescent Rose. No backup. No problem.

Ruby had Crocea Mors in hand and she was ready to take on the world. Well, maybe that was a bit much, but having the sword in her hand really made this bad situation just a little bit better. Hell, without, those White Fang guards probably would have captured her by now. Despite Jaune and Pyrrha's best efforts, Ruby still wasn't very good in hand to hand combat.

So, she had fallen down a hole. A simple mistake, right? It wasn't like she was a huntress with superspeed who probably could have avoided the sinkhole had she not been thinking about Jaune and Pyrrha and her team and how screwed up everything seemed to be! … No. That wasn't the case at all.

Regardless, the irony was not lost on her that she was now searching for an underground crime syndicate _underground_. That sounded like something straight out of a comic book… Which meant that she was a comic book hero! Oh yeah. This just got a whole lot cooler.

Humming the 'Mission Impossible' theme to herself, Ruby darted from corner to corner, approaching ever closer to her goal. Every now and them, she'd run into some White Fang members patrolling and she'd take them out quickly. Briefly, she considered using one of the outfits to try and infiltrate the White Fang without them even knowing it, but nobody was wearing anything that fit her, and the idea of stripping someone was just… Weird.

She knew she made it to the right place when she saw the train. Why the hell did they have a train? Out of all possible vehicles, a train seemed the least evil- aside from a bicycle. But besides that, what was with all the dust? Amid the broken down buildings and ancient rock formations were crates upon crates of dust. The amount could fully stock Crescent Rose with ammunition for years! She needed to get to the bottom of this.

The closer she approached, the harder it came to remain hidden. She'd duck behind walls and hold her breath, just hoping they wouldn't look around the corner. And to her luck, they didn't, but it was starting to show a problem in her plan. She couldn't exactly assault the hideout without backup, and her semblance could only take her so far. What was her plan here? What was she going to do…? What would Jaune do?

Then she saw Neo.

Instantly, the sight of the multicolored girl elicited negative memories in Ruby's mind. Memories of pain, fear. Her fight with Neo had been the closest she'd even gotten to death, and she never wanted to be in that position again. Without even realizing, Ruby's previously injured leg buckled, causing her to stumble. Perhaps it was a residual effect of her injury, or maybe it was just the memory, but it any case, it was too late. She pressed herself against the wall as quickly as she could, but it was too late. The shattering of glass was heard, and the young huntress suddenly felt herself being ripped out of existence and pulled somewhere else.

Her eyes opened to meet pink and brown orbs, filled with malicious curiosity. An eyebrow peaked, as if to say,

'Fancy seeing you here, Red.'

* * *

Gunshots meant trouble. Obviously. It was a rule so simple that even a child could understand it. What many didn't learn, was that gunshots also meant authority. Whether police or huntsmen, gunshots generally meant bad things for thieves.

Hearing gunshots in their supposedly 'secret' hideout understandably put Emerald into panic mode. She couldn't be seen now! Cinder needed her to remain hidden! She needed to hide herself, fast.

"GIve me your mask and jacket!" Emerald ordered one for the female White Fang grunts near her.

"Miss?" The grunt asked, confused.

"Now!" Emerald ordered once more, panic rising. Reluctantly, the grunt did as she was told, allowing her superior to put on the mask and jacket. "How do I look? Can you tell who I am?" Emerald questioned.

"Uh…"

"What? What is it?"

"Girl hair." The girl said simply. Why the hell didn't the White Fang masks hide something like that? Did Adam not have it in his budget or something? Whatever, she needed to focus.

"Then give me your hoodie as well!"

"But I don't have anything underneath!" Emerald cursed. Of course! Damn it, how could she not be recognized when she had _green fucking hair_.

"Ma'am, hunter have found our location!" A different grunt ran up to the mint haired woman, doing his duty as a grunt. Unfortunately for him, this wasn't exactly the best time.

"I fucking know that!" Emerald practically screamed at him, causing him to squeak in surprise- like the mouse faunus he was. "Now what am I going to do to get out of here?" Sure, there was the possibility that Neo could handle the intruders and Emerald was just panicking for no reason, but there was no way in hell she was putting her life in the hands of that bitch.

"You could always start the train." Grunt Number One offered.

"Are you stupid? That would ruin Neo's entire operation!" Emerald criticised.

"Yeah, but don't you hate her?" Grunt Number Two added, making Emerald's eyes widen.

"I got it! Start the train! We're rolling out!" As the mocha skinned girl went to start ordering people around on the train, the two grunts looked at each other.

"We don't get paid enough." Grunt Two complained.

"We don't get paid at all." Grunt One pointed out. "We should though, dealing with these people everyday. They even call us 'grunts!'"

* * *

The girl was quick, Neo'd give her that. Once the gunshots went off, Neo loosened her grip, and Ruby was out of there. The Roman clad villain had tried to teleport and catch up to the huntress, but as she did so a shot caught her shoulder, aura infused.

The hunter group looked vaguely familiar, but Neo wasn't focused on that. She was more focused on the green haired one shooting at her position. No matter where she teleported, he either shot her or nearly shot her. He either had the best reflexes in the world, or his luck was insane. Regardless, Neo was pinned down behind cover.

Then the goddamned train started moving. In some ways, this was actually a good thing. With the train moving, their cover would be compromised, making the situation even worse. Oh wait. That was a _bad_ thing… She was gonna kill that green haired slut the next time she saw her.

In a lightning quick scrawl, Neo wrote out a message and handed it to the White Fang Lieutenant next to her. He read it just as quickly and nodded.

"Retreat! Fall back to the train!" As the White Fang grunts ran around like chickens without heads, Neo teleported further on the train with a frown. This was not how things were supposed to go. But, like any great Torchwick would,

She'd improvise.

* * *

He has just squeezed himself into the one-size-too-small White Fang Uniform when he heard the gunshots. Immediately, Jaune groaned. Was all of his hard work for nothing? How many Grunts had to die for no reason other than to obtain an outfit that fit? Not to mention, he was already pretty tired, hiking for a continuous twelve hours just to get here on time. Needless to say, Jaune was in a sad, sad state. So much for the 'stealthy approach.'

Though, he probably should have seen this coming. He'd never thought to talk to Ruby about what happened on the inside of the tunnel, before the train crashed into the city. Sure, the information would've been handy now, but he hadn't exactly thought he'd time travel into the past any time soon.

Finally making it to the hideout, Jaune went to pull out his Beacon-Borrowed Sword and start kicking some ass, but was instantly stopped when a large hand grabbed his shoulder.

"Thomason, my boy! I didn't think you'd make it! Nevertheless, we don't have anytime to spare. Board the train and help with the wiring, I know your good for it, old chap." He turned to see a White Fang lieutenant with a funny accent, smile at him kindly. Before he could say anything, or proceed to kill the man, yet another Lieutenant grabbed him by the scruff of the neck and pulled him aboard the train.

"Come on, Thomason! We don't have time to waste, the trains about to leave! Get to the wiring." Once more, Jaune was dragged along somewhere as 'Thomason' this time, into a train car with a strange dust device in it. If Jaune knew the White Fang, though, it was probably a bomb.

Well, it seems the 'stealthy approach' was back on. The train started to get on a roll, and Jaune hesitantly approaches the bomb, not wanting to ruin this for himself. One of the grunts looked to him.

"Thomason, pass me the hydrolighter." Jaune blinked. The hell was that?

"Uhh…" The leader of Team JNPR replied. "Umm…" Jaune couldn't tell because of the mask, but the grunt seemed to scutch his eyes in confusion.

"Are you doing okay, Thomason? You sound little weird."

"Uhh…" Shit, they were on to him. Ah fuck it, screw the 'stealthy w-

Yet again, a White Fang lieutenant, who had just entered the train car, grabbed him.

"You. You know how to pilot a atlesian mech?" The Lieutenant grunted. Jaune nodded. "Alright. Go do that." The man ordered simply before turning back to the rest of the car.

Mechs? They had mechs? What should he do now? Should he kill them all or go to the mechs? Well, the real question was, what would help Ruby the most in this situation?

And then the ceiling hatch blew up.

* * *

In all honesty, Blake was having a little more fun than she should be, beating the crap out of all these White Fang Grunts. They weren't much of a challenge, so none of her friends were getting hurt, and there was no bystander for miles to get accidentally injured by all this. Why couldn't she have a little fun? Whether it was the fact that they were the White Fang getting justice, or it was just the fight in general, Blake wasn't sure, but she's find out. It seemed she'd be sparing with Weiss more often once they got back to Beacon.

Speaking of the heiress, Weiss seemed to be in the same situation Blake was, mercilessly tearing down enemies with glee. Though, she hid her satisfaction worse than the Faunus next to her. Together the two friends, along with two more teammates, a teacher, and a dog, fought their way up the train and towards the front.

Behind them, one of the train cars decoupled and blew a hole into the tunnel, allowing Grimm to seep through. As Oobleck explained something about the history of Mt. Glenn, Blake focused her attention on the last remaining White Fang surrounding them. They seemed to be… Waiting for something.

"Mech!" Blake called out to her companions, grabbing their attention and pulling it towards the _multiple_ mechs heading towards them. With this, Ruby stepped forward and took charge.

"Blake, Weiss, you take the inside of the train car and try to keep them from arming anymore bombs. Be sure to not get detached. Yang, Dr. Oobleck, and I will deal with the outside and we can meet up at the very front. Got it?" Everyone stared as the youngest of them all showed her true colors and took command of the situation. Noticing nobody was moving, Ruby repeated her question. "Got it?" They nodded. "Alright, now go!"

In a flash of roses, the leader of Team RWBY sped off to deal with the mechs, her sister and teacher right behind her. At the same time, Weiss aimed her weapon at one of the ceiling hatches and fired.

The ceiling hatch blew up.

Weiss jumped down, followed by Blake, and they gathered themselves. Surrounding them within the train car was a butch of White Fang Grunts and a Lieutenant, all staring at the two.

Blake and Weiss looked at each other, smiled, and prepared to wreck shop.

"Attack!"

* * *

Yeah, no. Jaune was definitely not attacking Blake and Weiss. Instead, he used the intrusion as a distraction, slipping out the door of the train car and into the next one, where a similar bomb arming was taking place. If Blake and Weiss were down here, that meant that Ruby was up on top of the train, probably dealing with the White Fang's mechs.

And suddenly, he knew how he wanted to help.

From his time working with Atlas, as well as from the investigation of the Fall of Beacon, Jaune had gotten quite acquainted to Atlas' technology. For instance, any bunch of given mech or robots in an area needed to be connected to one central motherboard, in order to better regulate their movements and actions. This was why the virus uploaded by Roman Torchwick was so devastating. It took control of the motherboard for the entirety of Vale, turning every Atlas Mech or Robot against them.

Thankfully, the White Fang's Atlas tech wasn't nearly as devastating. There was likely a makeshift motherboard along with the driver's controls. Meaning all Jaune has to do was get to the front of the train. That… Was easier said than done.

The train was unsurprisingly crawling with White Fang. They were running around in disorder as the train sped onwards, obviously not prepared for this day. Jayne wondered what they would've done if they'd actually made their deadline and went out on schedule, but he ignored that thought. Regardless, the chaos allowed him to easily slip through each train car, closer to his destination. And this time, nobody recognized 'Thomason.'

Occasionally, he'd hear or see Ruby or Yang fighting on the train above him, further reminding him why he was actually hear. She needed help, and he'd give it to her. Besides that, it also cemented the idea to _never go on the roof_ or risk death. So when Jaune came upon a train car everybody seemed to be going over, he pushed right past it and enter, shaking off the hands trying to stop him.

At this moment, Jaune knew, he fucked up.

Across the empty train car, looking at some papers, was a multicolored girl he recognized all too well. Luckily, she hadn't seen him yet, and even if she did, she probably wouldn't recognize him. Now… Jaune had a choice here. He could continue on, and try to shut down the mechs, or he could try to kill her once and for all. And as tempting as that option was, he was running on nothing but adrenaline, which was quickly running out. He'd avoid the fight for now.

Unfortunately, he didn't have much of say in his choice, as when he started moving across the car, she looked up from her paper and saw him. Did she recognize him? Well, judging by her sudden disappearance and reappearance behind him, trying to stab through his throat, he'd say so. Disappearing again, Jaune quickly took the time to rip off his helmet and threw it at her, catching her off guard. He then took the opportunity to arm himself with his sword.

Standing opposite each other, their eyes met, making Neo growl. The fight was on.

* * *

Where did it all go wrong? Some would say when Emerald started the train, some would say when the White Fang failed to see a hunter groups coming, but Neo knew it went wrong long before that. Really thinking about it, it was all Roman's fault. He got killed by a _fucking kid_ , leaving behind his 'friends,' his 'family,' and Neo all to fend for themselves. Why wasn't he stronger, why did he leave her?

A teardrop fell on the photo of him that Neo had hidden between some papers. She'd been using this empty train car as a makeshift office, so she didn't have to teleport to Vale and back everytime she wanted a pencil. Eventually if was supposed to be converted back to normal, but that was out of the question now, as it would take too much time. The grunts knew to stay out unless they had a death wish. So why was one in here now? Nevermind that, she needed to distract herself anyway.

She teleported behind him and did her signature stab to the throat. Unlike most White Fang Grunts, however, this one had decent reaction times, and was able to dodge her strike. Disappearing again, she was met with the Grunt throwing off his mask and arming himself, except… He was no ordinary Grunt anymore. _Now_ the fight was on.

Knowing the danger he was, Neo's strategy had not changed since the last time they fought. She would teleport all around him, wearing him down as he was unable to establish a connection from which to take away her aura. He, on the other hand, was on the defensive, rarely trying to do more than block or dodge.

Neither of them how long they fought like that, nor did they care. This was about revenge, for both of them. In this way, they fought to their truest potential, Neo in the name of Roman, and Jaune in the name of Ruby. There was no backing down, and this fight would only end in death.

Jaune wasn't so well off this fight. His copious amounts of aura kept his adrenaline running longer than any normal person's, but there was only so far he could go on adrenaline before he collapsed. And he should know. Those years after Pyrrha's death, he worked himself to the bone, every day and night, refusing help until he literally couldn't stand.

But that was a worse time. A time when things were simpler, but the hurt was more real. Jaune's trials, tribulations, throughout his journey in the new timeline may have hurt him, and may have hurt his friends, but they were alive. Each and every single one of them, still breathing. And _that's_ what kept Jaune going. Not his adrenaline, not his aura, his love for his friends, no matter what they had become.

* * *

The two blades sparked each other as the train continued to rumble ever closer to the city. Despite her sabotage, the train could still do some damage, was it to make it to Vale. Not as much as it could've, but still. Emerald knew this, and knew she had to escape Neo. The petite warrior was undoubtedly furious at the mint haired girl, and Emerald was not sticking around to see what she would do. The best thing to do was get back to Beacon and find Cinder.

Once Emerald was assured that the train was at full speed, she booked it from the front car. If Neo was to go anywhere after dealing with the Hunters, it'd probably be there. And being near Neo was not the place for Emerald right now. Neo _couldn't_ be able to find her, or else it would end badly.

Just Emerald's luck, _she_ found Neo.

The cold hearted psychopath in question was intending battling Jaune Arc, making the situation even worse. If he saw her, that would defeat the whole point of starting the train. Emerald should've walked away. _Should've_.

Instead, perhaps from her years as a thief, greed took hold of her. She could end them, right here, right now. Two birds, one stone. All she had to do with pull the trigger…

 _ **BAM! BAM!**_

 _ **DINK! DINK!**_

As she fired her handguns, both combatants stopped what they were doing and blocked the shots with their weapons, turning to state directly at her. And judging by their expressions, neither one was happy to see her.

"Uhh… Would either of you believe me if I said it was an accident?" She asked hesitantly to no response. "Well… Fuck it." And with that, the three warriors clashed.

The fight had _truly_ begun.

* * *

 **Just to clarify, that last battle is between all three of them. It's not Emerald against Jaune and Neo. It's Emerald against Jaune against Neo against Emerald.**

 **The pacing of this chapter is quicker than usual. That's because I decided to cut out all the bullshit and get right to the good stuff. Saying that, this chapter felt a lot more crack!fic than how I normally write. But maybe that's more enjoyable for you all. We'll see, I guess.**

 **I know I said the next chapter would be longer, but I decided to split it in two for the purposes of finishing and getting it out to you at a reasonable time. Besides, if Rooster Teeth can write this plot point in** _ **five**_ **episodes, I can do it in three. Ignoring that, last time, I mentioned how the chapter was shorter than usual, but that isn't actually true. It was actually about average, and as is this one. It just seems shorter to me because I make my chapters longer for my other story, New Game Plus (shameless plug). That's a me problem, but I just wanted to inform you that I'm** _ **not**_ **ripping you guys off with a shorter chapter than usual.**

 **I had wanted to avoid a Ruby POV for a while now, but I kinda already used one in the dance chapter and it just worked here. The idea I was going for is pointless, and Ruby should be better integrated into the story. Sorry it took so long.**

 **Onto reviews,**

 **Everybody still dislikes what I'm doing with Yang. No change there.**

 **Sexual Tension? Absolutely.**

 **And Jaune's never lost to Neo. When Jaune was fighting Cinder, she wasn't taking it seriously, and got caught off guard. When Jaune fought Neo, they were both putting their all into it fueled by pure rage. And he didn't lose. He got shot in the eye and teleported away, but if he needed to keep fighting her, he would've.**

 **Until next time,**

 **-RMV**


	20. One Wild Ride Part Two

As Emerald clashed with Jaune, Neo disappeared once more. The two, non-teleporting combatants, continued to fight, until Jaune had to jump out of the way from Neo's surprise attack.

And thus, the fight progressed as such. Jaune would dominate Emerald, but be just prevented from the kill by the interruption of Neo. Though, he was sure Neo wanted Emerald dead as well, clearly, _he_ was the bigger threat. The mint haired girl became less and less of a slouch as the fight continued, ducking and weaving and generally not going on the offensive.

Her style had changed. Whereas before, she tried to use her illusions to trick him into thinking she was somewhere he was not- a tactic he'd since grown accustomed to- she now used her illusions in more subtle ways. An awkward hand movement, a faint attack. Emerald still stood where her aura said she did, but now his eyes played tricks on him. Funny enough, it took the first timeline's Emerald _years_ to think of this. Granted, it also took her years to figure out his semblance, but that was neither here nor there. Speaking of _his_ semblance, he had taken away her aura, but Emerald's quick flashes of illusion didn't need much in the way of aura, allowing her to use her semblance every few seconds as her body regenerated aura.

On Neo's side of things, the tactics remained about the same. She continued to blink in and out of existence, never quite giving him enough time to latch on an aura bond. Unlike their one on one, however, Neo now lingered a bit more with her attacks. This was in hopes that when Jaune dodges her attack, she would go in to hit Emerald instead. Surprisingly, it actually worked a fair few times.

The battle was too fast paced to go through one move at a time, but Jaune remained unbothered. Unlike his opponents, Jaune had a reason to fight, a genuine and pure reason. A reason that overcame greed with ease and stamped on revenge like it was nothing. He, of course, fought for Ruby.

And the longer he thought about it, the more he realized that _that alone_ was true. Once upon a time, he claimed to fight for his friends or for the future or something, but that wasn't true. With everything so different, what even was the future anymore? And his friends? What a joke. Who even were his friends anymore besides Ruby- and perhaps Pyrrha? Strangers, that's who. Strangers parading around in the bodies of his family long forgotten.

In that way, he'd never forget the people who fought by his side, but this timeline wasn't his home. Only Ruby mattered _here_.

The battle raged on without interruption, and the outcome was started to reveal itself to all participants. It was a realization they could take with confidence or fear, and they all took it with confidence. One of them would die before the day was out.

Just as simple a message as that, yet it had a profound impact on all three fighters. For Jaune, he finally made up his mind. Someone might die, yes, but it sure as hell wouldn't be him.

* * *

She… She could do it! And she could do it _with ease_. Her sister and Oobleck needed to take the Atlesian Mechs out together, but Ruby? It was pathetic how quickly the fell to the reaper. A flash of her semblance- and BAM! An arm off. Another strike- and BAM! There went a leg! A finally strike for the kill- and BAM! The mech was in pieces. _Damn_! It felt good to be powerful? Was this how Pyrrha and Jaune felt all the time? No wonder they acted so crazy and weird- a person could get addicted to this!

Even as Ruby mercilessly cut down mechs after mech, they still seemed to be coming. She didn't understand _how_ the White Fang could get this many mechs, or what they planned to do with them, but it was a good thing she'd discovered the place when she did, or Vale might've been in ruins by tomorrow. Regardless, she was here now, and still, there were too many of them.

"Girls, I think it's time you go on ahead." Doctor Oobleck concluded, his voice unusually normal paced. "I can hold off the Atlas Mechs on my own, but the sooner we shut down the train the better." Ruby didn't argue, completely agreeing with his argument.

"Yes, Doctor Oobleck. Come on, Yang! We have a train to shut down." The leader of Team RWBY called her sister as she sped off down towards the front of the train.

White Fang defenses along the way were, for the most part, ignored. There was the occasional grunt to throw around, but it seemed the majority of forces were still being concentrated on the internal threat, Weiss and Blake. Of course, this was just the reason Ruby sent them down there- it wasn't as if she was going to _tell_ them that they were merely distractions- so they were doing the job well. The one Ruby was more concerned about was Yang.

Even before Beacon, her sister had a history of being unable to cooperate with people. Certainly a stubborn one. But Beacon made it all the worse. In fact, it had become almost a habit of Ruby's to simply order Yang seperate from Weiss and Blake. It was certainly a problem.

But… A problem for another time. As Ruby sent yet another enemy flying, she decided to focus more on the problem at hand- Being, the train that they were _on_. Within a few minutes of fighting, the sisters had cleared all opposition to their destination and they stood outside the door to the control car. Ruby went to open- And… It was locked.

"Don't even try to get in here hu- human scum! I'm armed and dangerous!" A wimpy voice called from the inside. Ruby, exasperated, looked to Yang, who shrugged.

"The easy way or the hard way. Either open the door, or get out of the way of it because either way, we're coming in." Ruby gave her ultimatum and fair warning to the Faunus inside.

"Never!" The White Fang Grunt shouted defiantly. At this, Ruby gestured to her sister. Yang smirked at her younger companion.

"The easy way it is." The blond joked as she wound back slightly and punched the door.

The metal apparatus had no chance, flying off its hinges and straight into the train operator. The operator slowed the door's speed with his body, and he was thrown to the ground with the hunk of metal on top of him.

"Oww…" He weakly groaned before falling unconscious.

Stepping around his body, Ruby observed the control panel to see what they were dealing with. Nothing was labelled, so the task wasn't as simple as pushing a button or pulling a lever. If only it was that easy. But no, instead they'd have to experiment, and judging by how long the train had been moving, their time was limited.

"Okay," Ruby started. "We're going to have to do this quickly."

"Got it." Yang responded instantly. Ruby couldn't even ask what she meant when Yang smashed down on the center console with all her mite, smashing it to pieces. In the next instant, the whole train jolted, and for a moment, seemed to be stopping.

"Y-" Yang couldn't even get out a word before the train shifted gears once more and started going faster, and faster, and faster faster faster. Until the engine was practically screaming in overuse and they were hurtling towards the city twice as fast as before.

Ruby didn't quite know how to feel about this turn of events, and didn't really have much of a chance to process it as the end of the cave was now in sight and approaching _very_ fast.

What was one to do in a situation like this? As it stood, Ruby had no real hope of gaining cover, nor did she have any real chance of jumping off the train- Not that it would have done her any good. Instead, she was forced to watch in near slow motion as the train hurtled towards the solid rock wall. Vaguely, she wondered what would be crushed and what would flatten, the train car or the rock.

For her part, she bet on the train car- though it did seem like a losing one- and braced herself for impact behind her weapon. In the final seconds, no noise could be heard aside from a piercingly high tone, and everything went to white.

* * *

It was over before it really began. Taking advantage of Neo's distraction, Jaune twisted his blade clashed with Emerald's, causing her to lose grip on one of her weapons. Now, there was no contest. Emerald made a valiant effort to flee from the scene, her semblance going wild in an attempt to distract Jaune from her location. But in her panic, she forgot about her second combatant, who was conveniently blocking the mint haired girl's escape.

One moment, her red eyes were filled with panic and desperation, and the next, shock and dread. She said no words apart from a surprised gasp as the umbrella went straight through her back and out her right breast like a hot knife through butter. Another gasp followed as Jaune, too, plunged his blade into the criminal's heart, directly opposite Neo's strike. From this position, Jaune was able to watch as all the girl's hopes and dreams faded away into that cold black void of nothingness.

If only it had been that easy the first time around.

All of a sudden, out of nowhere, a violent rumble shook the entire train. Both Jaune and Neo were forced to relinquish control of their weapons to steady themselves and Emerald's body fell face first to the floor ungracefully. Neo was shook, but Jaune recovered quickly, almost too used to sudden explosions around him. Besides, the shock had provided him a wonderful opportunity that he _would not_ miss out on.

Successfully reaching out and linking to the multicolored girl's soul for the first time, Jaune ripped her aura away from her with supreme satisfaction. Neo shook once more, but it wasn't due to his actions. Instead, it was from the sudden speed up of the train, which was now approaching the city inordinately fast. In Jaune's heart of hearts, he knew the train would crash soon, and when it happened, Neo would most certainly die.

Then, something… Weird occured. Time slowed down for Jaune and he made a decision that he would never admit to anyone sans Ruby. Instead of leaving Neo to her fate, Jaune reached out, grabbed Neo in a protective stance, and gave her some aura which he had just previously stolen from her.

As for why, well… Jaune had no clue. But the answer that helped him get sleep at night was a simple one. It was instinctual. On countless occasions during the many years of his past life, Jaune had ended up in situations where he needed to quickly save a bystander or friend. And the way to do so was easy. He'd wrap his body around the person, acting like a human shield, and he'd supply their bodies with however much aura they could handle before they were overwhelmed- Jaune had gotten good at guessing just how much that was for any given person. So that was it. All his action was was the lingering desire to protect people, despite his previous declaration that only Ruby mattered. That was _it_.

Another possibility, though- one that he didn't like to think about- was that he _wanted_ to save her. Ridiculous! Right? But the more he thought about it, the more he grimaced. In the previous timeline, he didn't even know she existed. For all Jaune knew, Neo ended up living a great life- despite the war- and that's what bothered him. Whatever she had been going to do before, _he_ had destroyed that chance for her. He- and he couldn't believe he was about to say this- changed her fate and tied it with his own.

And yeah, yeah, 'fate is bullshit' and all that. But could he really change his beliefs that easily? His entire previous life, he kept on with the simple hope that everything happened for a reason, and that one day, good would triumph over evil. Every loss, every sacrifice, it all contributed to the world's own happy ending. One where everyone was okay and no one was hurt. Was it wrong to think that? Jaune just didn't know anymore. But one thing's for certain, Neo shouldn't have been on this train. And Jaune- in a single moment of self realization and understanding- wouldn't let her suffer for his selfishness to try and change things that should never have changed in the first place.

He'd deny everything later, including that mere thought. But for now, he held onto Neo tight as only a piercing tone was heard and everything faded to white.

* * *

Jaune awoke with a groan. The world span around him and he couldn't quite tell what was going on. He was sitting upright, leaning on what appeared to be the remains of the metal train car he was in. Night arrived in Vale before the train did, but that fact did nothing to hinder his vision due to the numerous flames burning around him.

Slowly, one by one, he started to regain each of his senses. Taste revealed to him a mix of, blood, spit, and bile, that had pooled in his mouth. The smell was just… Char. Distant screams and gunshots made up his hearing- not that he was expecting anything else. One sound, however, broke the usual. Though, Jaune was all too used to hearing it. It was the sound of breaking glass. And he jerked his head towards the noise just in time to see the shattered remains of Neopolitan Torchwick fall into nothingness. He had little time to think on the criminal's deparcher as his sudden movement spiked his final sense into action.

Pain.

Pain emanated from a single central area, and Jaune struggled to even get a good look at it without passing out from the intensity. A sharp, metal rod had lodged itself through his back at an angle and out of his nearest side. The wound had missed all his vital organs, but it still hurt like a bitch.

The rod attached itself firmly to whatever Jaune was leaning on, meaning if he wanted to get out of his position, he'd have to pull himself up and off the metal. Aura was nice and all, but one complaint Jaune _did_ have about it, was that it didn't get rid of pain. Sure, it could heal wounds fast enough to make it feel like they never hurt in the first place. But for injuries like this? Aura couldn't do shit.

Truthfully, Jaune was in a sorry state. No longer did adrenaline pump through his veins to keep him going, that had all been exhausted. Rather, sheer willpower alone was all he had left at this point. It was a miracle he even woke up from the crash, to be frank. And was an even bigger miracle that he didn't die as he pried himself off of the metal rod.

"Fuck!" Jaune couldn't help but let out once he'd finally pulled himself off. His problem's had only just began, however, as while aura did it's best, Jaune started losing blood quickly from the hole in his side.

The leader Team JNPR ripped off the stupid White Fang cloak he wore and tied it around his waist instead. The white fabric instantaneously stained red- or, _more_ red- and Jaune knew this wasn't a permanent solution. He needed to find someone promptly, or else… Well, or else everything he did would have been for nothing. And that wasn't something he wanted to think about.

There was a _tiny_ _bit_ of a problem with walking to the sounds of civilization, however. Being… The 'walking' part. Jaune wouldn't quite 'walk' as much as he would 'throw' himself from piece of rumble to piece of rumble. What he needed was a walking stick. And as luck so happened, he found one!

Oh… And Emerald, or… What was left of Emerald. Believe it or not, dead bodies didn't do too well when going through train crashes. Though, to Emerald's credit, her _top_ half was still recognizable along with the two weapons still lodged in it.

Surprisingly- not really- Jaune's Beacon-Borrowed Sword faired about as well as Emerald through the crash. To say, it was _in half_. Neo's umbrella, on the other hand, seemed virtually unscathed, and it stood out of Emerald's back like a pillar in the darkness. Okay, that was an exaggeration, but Jaune still took it anyway to help him get around.

Better than nothing, right?

* * *

Unlike Jaune, Ruby awoke with a rush of emotions, rising from position on the ground without any hassle. As it turned out, in a battle between rock and train car, train car would win. Sure, the train was in pieces, but it did it's job and broke through the rock wall without much resistance. Ruby should have figured that the train was specifically _designed_ to do so, and as a result, she had not but a few bruises and cuts on her.

Yang was nowhere to be found, but the young huntress wasn't too worried. If she could survive the crash, Yang could, and then some. However, her sister's whereabouts weren't the most important thing to be worrying about right now, and Ruby turned her attention to the more prominent problems, such as the screams.

Oh, how horrible they sounded! Obviously, being in the first train car meant that Ruby had been launched the furthest into the city, but that also meant that she was directly next to all the civilians. Most ran from the scene and towards the sirens in the distance, others were less fortunate when it all went down, and had been injured by the crash. The injuries varied from beng knockout by some shrapnel to having their arm _crushed_ by the metal chunks of train. Regardless of the injury, blood… So much blood mixed with the flaming wreckage to create a _horrid_ stench that she would never forget.

Her first instinct was to run to help these people, whether they were injured or perhaps already dead. In some ways, she was responsible for their misery in the first place, being unable to stop the train in time. Aside from that sense of obligation, Ruby had always been one to try and help people, no matter what. With that thought, though, the leader of Team RWBY suddenly realized that her prized weapon, Crescent Rose had gone missing.

She must've dropped it in the crash, but the scythe hadn't strayed too far from its wielder. The girl found it in a matter of minutes, and was horrified by what she found. There it laid, at her feet, broken. But not just broken, no, it had been _mangled beyond repair_. Not only had the shaft and blade of the weapon been snapped off unnaturally, but the mechanism by which the weapon mechashifted had been smashed completely by an errant bit of metal from the train's console.

Ruby fell to her knees before Crescent Rose.

It was as if someone had just stabbed her in the heart. That's how she felt right then. And it wasn't just because her weapon had been destroyed- she wasn't _that_ petty- but rather, she mourned at the loss of the dream she carried _with_ that weapon. Ever since she was a child, Ruby had wanted to save the world, to be a hero like her father, her uncle… Her mother. Always, so very clearly, Ruby had pictured herself standing on top a mountain of slain Grimm- having just saved the world from total annihilation- and in her hand, Crescent Rose, as pristine as ever.

Just like the scythe, that dream had been ripped from her in the crash and mangled to a heap. Right there, surrounded by flaming rubble, Ruby realized that the world was a cruel one, and as Blake had warned her so long ago… Unfortunately, the real world wasn't the same as a fairytale. And in this world, getting a happy ending was rare.

So caught up in her loss, the broken huntress barely noticed the King Taijitu until it had made its way directly in front of her, prepared to strike her down. Ruby could've easily used her semblance to get away, but… She didn't. Instead, she stood there, staring at the Grimm.

No, she wasn't suicidal. Despite her actions, she wanted to keep living her life for as long as she could. The only problem was her body wasn't listening to her. She had lost her drive, and her body reacted accordingly. Hope. Hope was what drove the young Rose and hope was what she had lost today. The screams of the innocent civilians, who wanted nothing to do with this situation, only drove home that fact.

Ruby closed her eyes. Not in acceptance, but rather, in _hope_. A last ditch attempt. A prayer. One last call to whatever beings ran this screwed up world for a little hope to fall from the sky and right to where she sat. Nothing came of her prayer, and she heard the beat lunge.

 _ **HSSSSSKK-!**_

 _ **SHINK!**_

Ruby felt nothing except something heavy landing in front of her. Hesitantly, she opened her eyes.

Like an angel from the heavens, a knight in shining armour, Pyrrha Nikos stood atop the King Taijitu. A spear through the Grimm's head and a hand outstretched towards her. The smile on the warrior's face, hypnotizing. And with that hypnotic effect, Pyrrha gave an order.

"Come on, Ruby. Let's go save the day."

And Ruby did as she was told.

* * *

Blake and Weiss did not pass out in the crash. Had they, the two huntresses would have probably been killed by now. All it took was one dust bomb to go off for the rest to follow suit- even the ones they had disarmed. Dust was dust. And dust was volatile.

The explosions nearly leveled the part of the city it occurred in, leaving buildings, people, and the train itself unrecognizable. Here, unlike anywhere else, was where the true terror was. Charred corpses and dismembered limbs, hanging from the ruins of once functioning shops and business centers. Only two people survived the last five cars on the train, and it was obvious who they were.

The huntress pair embraced each other in a bubble made up of Weiss' glyphs, bounced around and disoriented by the explosions. Their time to recover was scarce, however, as Grimm began pouring in to the city from the tunnel not long after. They managed to fight off the first dozen or so, but soon realized there was not much more they could do besides retreat or die.

Though they ran from the carnage, the situation didn't get much better as they went along. The White Fang- those who survived- had taken to shooting any person they came across that wasn't wearing their uniform, including Faunus. Blake figured it was the shock getting to them. Their minds' regressed into a simpler state, and all they could do was the thing they were ordered to do. Shoot.

Not every member they ran across could be taken out peacefully, and as it was, most had to be killed in order to protect civilians. Both Blake and Weiss took up this task without complaint or protest- perhaps in their own form of shock. Neither had spoken a word since the crash, and this continued even as they struck down faunus after faunus, still working as a cooperative unit all the way through.

They weren't heading anywhere in particular, but rather, _away_ from the carnage. A carnage that seemed to go on forever. There was a thought that perhaps even more dust bombs had been left in the surrounding buildings ahead of time, to add even more of an effect to the attack, but it remained unspoken. Finally though, after an unknown about of time, they found what they were looking for.

An Atlesian Bullhead, carrying several robotic soldiers and Ms. Goodwitch, flew done from the massive Airship overhead and to the huntresses' location. Instantly, Ms. Goodwitch got off and rushed to meet Weiss and Blake.

"Girls! Are you okay?" She pestered the two, her voice laced with concern.

"Yeah. We made it out fine." Weiss reported.

" _We_ did." Blake reiterated. The teacher frowned.

"You two should have never experienced this. Not at such a young age. Come now, we need to leave." As she said this, Atlas' robots began to spread out and scan the area for threats. Before either Blake or Weiss could object to leaving, however, their attention was drawn by the beeping of one of the drones.

"HALT. THREAT DETECTED." The bot announced to an injured Jaune, who limped into the clearing. Seeing the state he was in, Ms. Goodwitch discarded the girls and ran over to him.

"He's not a threat, you idiotic machine! He's a student!"

"Yeah…" Jaune concurred with a strained smile as Glynda got closer. "Not a threat..." Then, knowing he was in good hands, he passed out.

* * *

"The situation in Vale has been… Less than satisfactory." There was a laugh at the end of the line.

"Why Cinder! I never thought you could swallow your pride like that! You must really need help." She reasoned. Cinder gritted her teeth. "Is it another one of your 'lady problems?' Ha! The day you came to me with that was one of my favorites!"

"..."

"Oh, don't be like that. Tell me, what do you need? I won't make fun of you any longer." Cinder could hear the smile in her Mistress' voice, but didn't comment.

"Emerald is dead."

"And…?"

"My plan relied on her." Salem sighed.

"So, what? You can't think of a new one? Is that what you need help with?"

"No. I have another plan, in fact."

"Then _what_ iswrong?"

"The after effects. The leader of the White Fang has become increasingly independent, and he won't let me get close enough to rein him back in. After today… I don't think I can count on his support any longer. Not to mention, I don't have access to the Atlesian Military anymore. Your army of Grimm will do some damage, but I fear it won't be enough to truly cripple Vale."

"Mmm… You really know how to pull me thin, Cinder." Cinder didn't respond. "Fine. I can get Hazel to bring the White Fang back to you and I'll start sending more Grimm to Vale, but the Atlas problem is up to you. Watts is already occupied with Lionheart."

"And if it isn't enough?" There was a deadly silence on the line after that question.

"You will _make it_ enough or you _suffer_." The ultimatum was set, as simple as that.

"Right." Cinder replied with conviction. "There's… One more thing."

"What."

"One of the Hunters actively opposing me has a aura draining semblance that-"

"What?! Did you say an Aura Draining Semblance?!" Cinder was stunned by her Mistress' sudden change in tone.

"Yes, why?"

"You should have started with that, my dear! Scratch my previous statements, you'll be provided with everything and more. Vale _must_ fall."

"And the Hunter?"

"...Do whatever you can to make him _miserable_. Don't kill him yet. I have plans for him…"

* * *

Sun Wukong could barely bring himself to look up from his hanging stance in chains as he heard the muted cries of Atlas Officials and gunshots from the world behind his cell. The world. Sun didn't have much to do with that world anymore, not after everything they'd done to him. He wasn't angry or sad, though. He just couldn't bring himself to care anymore.

The monkey Faunus was forced to care, however, when a sword was stabbed through his cell door, coated in blood. The sword removed itself, and for the briefest moment, light was let into the cell. Something in front of the door moved, blocking the light once more, but this was quickly rectified when the door was opened for good.

Two people entered the cell. One, the body of one of the Atlas officials Sun had come to know, dead and slumped on the ground in the entrance way. The other, a bull Faunus with red hair and wearing a White Fang mask. The Faunus smiled and… It was strange. A _warm_ smile! Sun had nearly forgotten what that looked like, stuck in this hell hole. The monkey Faunus couldn't even resist the urge to return the smile- at least, as best he could.

"It's good to see you, brother." The man said as he made his way over to Sun, and with a single slice, cut though his chains. "No other Faunus were held in this compound. I'm glad to see this wasn't all for naught."

"Yeah… Heh." Sun muttered absentmindedly as he took in his cell from an entirely new light. He was out of his chains! That shouldn't have been something he ever needed to celebrate, but he did! Oh it felt so good, he couldn't help but laugh. Especially at the Atlas agent, bleeding on the floor. He was hilarious! This was amazing! Everything was so great and funny! The world was-!

"Brother," The man in red said, breaking Sun from his thoughts. "I am Adam. Do you have a name?"

"Sun Wukong." The former prisoner responded.

"Sun…" Adam repeated, as if testing the name on his lips. "Well, Sun, I just have one question for you."

"What is it?" Adam held out his hand to pick Sun off the ground.

"Would you like to join the White Fang?"

* * *

Hours later, Jaune woke up, stabilized in the infirmary. The place was almost like a second home to him, for he was here far too often. Regardless, a nurse saw him rise, and ran out before he could say a thing to her. Weird.

His side still hurt, obviously. But at least now the pain was bearable. While laying there, it took him a second to spot the umbrella, propped up on his bed. Jaune grabbed the weapon and started to inspect it closely for the first time. It was a similar size to Crocea Mors, though much lighter, and only contained a hidden blade right at the tip of it. Other than that, it was a completely normal umbrella. Kinda underwhelming, if Jaune had anything to say about it.

His attention was shifted, however, when Ironwood bursted into his room, Ozpin calmly behind. Neither spoke first, so Jaune had to take the initiative.

"Did everyone make it out okay?" He questioned, making Ironwood raise an eyebrow.

"If your asking about your friends, they're fine. The citizens of Vale, however… Forty two deaths and counting." The general stated in a cold tone.

"Right. I'm sorry to hear that."

"Sure you-"

"James." Ozpin cut in. "Calm yourself." Ironwood glared, but complied. Turning away from his companion, Ozpin continued. "Mr. Arc, we are here because we have a few questions for you in regards to the incident, if you'd be so willing."

"Of course. What do you want to know?" Ah. So this was going to be like the dance. Well, he'd have to be careful with what he said around the two of them.

"Why were you even there?" Ironwood got right to the point. "Your Team was registered for an entirely different mission, in a completely different area, a _week_ from now."

"I was worried." Jaune told truthfully. "I had a bad feeling and I wanted to lookout for my friends." He didn't like Ironwood's accusing tone, vaguely wondering if the general suspected him of something.

"How come you were in a White Fang uniform when we picked you up?" The general moved on to the next question, unhappy with Jaune's truthful answer. This time, Jaune paused, a voice in the back of his mind telling him to run. What did Ironwood think he did? Not working with the White Fang, right? Surely Jaune had proved himself against such a thing many times by now.

"When I stumbled upon the White Fang operation, I decided to try and infiltrate them by wearing one of their suits. Surprisingly, it worked." Once again, Jaune had nothing to hide. Whatever Ironwood was trying to do here, it wasn't happening.

"Accepting all that, I just want to know one last thing."

"Yes?"

"Why did you kill Emerald Sustrai?" The room went dead and Jaune faltered.

"W-What?"

"She- what was left of her- was found in the crash site, and the sword _you_ rented from Beacon was found… 'With' her." Silence was an acceptance of guilt, so Jaune didn't have long to think of a response. What was he even supposed to say?

"I found her working with the White Fang. She tried to kill me when she saw me." Once again, silence. Jaune's felt the tension, and could see the skepticism. His hand twitched, tightening his grip on the umbrella, when briefly thought of what Ironwood did to terrorists. Seeing that the last time around… It even made _Ruby_ start to question if they were on the right side.

"You'll excuse me if I find that hard to believe." The general stated. "Emerald Sustrai was recommending by Professor Lionheart himself from Haven. As of yet, Atlas has found no correlation between her and any terrorist groups. _Your_ legitimacy, on the other hand, has been called into question."

"What are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about your fake transcripts, Mr. Arc." For whatever reason, Jaune turned to Ozpin after hearing of this. The teacher in question faced him with sympathy in his eyes.

"The tip came straight up from the top, and further digging proved this true beyond a reasonable doubt." The professor explained, as if saying 'this wasn't my choice, it was out of my hands.'

"Jaune Arc, you are under arrest for the murder of Emerald Sustrai and coercion with terrorists." Ironwood concluded, approaching the bed Jaune lay in.

No. No no no. Nonononononono! This couldn't be happening! This shouldn't be happening! He wouldn't let it happen.

Ever.

And with that, Jaune entire world shifted, and all that could be heard was the sound of breaking glass.

* * *

 **I can already image the reviews I'm going to get, outraged that I had Jaune save Neo. I'd like to think I did a good job at explaining why, whichever possibility you choose to believe, but you can't make everyone happy. Personally, I like the irony of the second thought, that she wasn't meant to be on the train, since- as we all know- she** _ **was**_ **. Oh. And Emerald died. That happened too.**

 **Let me also take the time to explain the whole 'crash' thing, as I know some people will be questioning why the results seem so insane. That's because they** _ **are**_ **insane. Unlike the show, where all the train did was break a wall, this train caused massive damage on the scale of a small village. To me, this makes more sense as they always talk of how volatile dust was, but none of it exploded in the crash? Not here. And before I get any reviews asking about it. No, the White Fang was not meant to be on the train when the original mission was supposed to happen. That would have been suicidal. Instead, they were merely there for the manual labor, and didn't actually know what they were getting into.**

 **I wasn't planning on the chapter being so long, but it just sort of happened. Fitting to end Volume Two with. Speaking of Volumes, however, I'm not gonna lie to you guys. Volume Three is going to take a while to get here. Why? Well… I don't really have anything planned out for it. I mean, I know what I want to happen, but I really don't have any of the specifics. And considering the ending of this Volume, you know I can't stick to the cannon anymore. So, sorry about that.**

 **In my other story, I mentioned that I had no problem with any reviews, and I wanted to repeat that here. However, I do have a little edit to that. I do have a pet peeve that sort of annoys me when it comes to reviews, that being, when someone reviews without reading to the most current chapter. Don't get me wrong, they left feedback and I'm grateful for that, but if they haven't read all the way to the most current chapter, they'll usually be stating problems that I've already covered or even fixed. That's just a pet peeve of mine, though. As always, reviews are welcome and appreciated.**

 **Now, reviews,**

 **Thank you all for the support. I feel like I've said it a million times, but it needs to be stated again. Reviews are what drives me to create, do better, and you guys certainly deliver. Thank you.**

 **I can tell the Yang issue is still un** **decisive, but I'm happy to hear that not _everybody_ hates it.**

 **As for the ship, I'm not really worried about that. I think you'll find that, come the end of the story- Actually, nevermind. Spoilers.**

 **Finally, I feel the need to apologize for the 'fight' in this chapter, being that, it barely even was one. The reason I didn't focus on it, or on Emerald's death, was because that simply wasn't what the chapter was about. This chapter was more about the pieces being moved into their final positions, and not so much about whether or not Jaune would win or lose the fight, because we all knew he would win.**

 **Thank you for your support, reviews are always welcome, and until next time,**

 **-RMV**


	21. Family Reunion

Vale had… Changed since he had last visited the city. Of course, this was expected, being gone for ten weeks, but not to such an extent. The city he remembered was cheerful and bustling with its almost sickly optimistic citizens. They acted as if they were invincible from the Grimm threat surrounding them- And that used to be true, until recently.

The disastrous Grimm breech has shaken the population to the core, not that it was the only problem. Apparently, blowing up a section of the city wasn't enough for the Faunus terrorists, seeing as the White Fang attacks and raids in the poorer parts of the city were a near constant. People didn't leave their houses very much anymore, and if they did, it was in a hurry to get somewhere safe.

On top of it all, Atlas' army had made itself a comfortable home in the richer regions of Vale. In the name of 'safety,' they went through the process of patrolling the streets, demanding a curfew, and investigating all suspicious individuals. Truly, it was martial law in all but name. James had _really_ overstepped this time.

Speaking of 'safety,' he'd rarely ever seen a wanted poster before, but now he could find one on the corner of every street. Specifically, there was a frequently one of a blonde kid with a patch over his left eye, looking no older than Yang was, probably from Beacon itself. How had Ozpin let this happen? Strong words were certainly going to be exchanged.

It took a while- understandably- but eventually he found a bar brave enough to open its doors to strangers. For the bartender's service, the man was heavily rewarded by the near-constant drunkard. Unfortunately, though, all good things came to an end, as he witnessed a very specific Atlas Airship flew past the window. The patrons of the establishment were all too used to this occurrence, but _he_ knew this was more than just the regular delivery of soldiers.

Slamming a generous amount of lien on the counter, he paid his debt as he downed the last of his drink.

It was time that Qrow to return to Beacon.

* * *

Winter's ship landed with a gentle thud on a specific landing platform near the side of Beacon, away from the lower class ships. A few of the exchange students- Aside from Atlas'- stared at the sight for a moment before continuing on with their day. They still hadn't gotten used to the amount of Atlas air traffic Beacon was now home to.

Beacon's own students had long since learned to deal with it.

No pedestrians walked the grounds, and it was easy for Weiss to her way up to airship, Blake right behind. The guards tensed at a person approaching, but almost instant relaxed when they saw Weiss- her white hair a dead give away of her intentions.

The airship's ramp descended, revealing a pristine white interior, and an equally pristine and white Atlas Specialist waiting there. The woman was the spitting image of Weiss- slightly 'bigger' with a change of hair- and walked exactly how Weiss used to. An air of superiority wafted off the ship just as she did, and Winter eventually stopped in front of the pair without a hint of emotion on her face.

"Winter! It's so good to see you!" Weiss cried in happiness, before remembering that she was in public. "I mean… It's a pleasure to see you again, Sister." The heiress curtsied and Winter rolled her eyes.

"Yes, yes. It's good to see you as well, Weiss. How have you been?" Weiss' eyes lit up at her older sisters questioning. Blake hadn't seen Weiss this happen in a _long_ time. Actually, had she ever seen Weiss this ecstatic?

"Oh! I'm doing fantastic.! I'm in the top five of all of my classes, I'm ranked in the top ten in our sparring class, and-"

 _ **Smack!**_

"I didn't ask how you ranked in you classes!" Winter cut off, but her voice quickly softened. "I asked how you've _been_. Have you been eating right? Are you settling well into Vale?"

"Right." Weiss agreed. "I'm doing fine. A little better now that you're here." Winter nodded, then glanced at Blake.

"Your friend's a little tense." She pointed towards the grip the Faunus had on her weapon- Unknowingly latching onto it the moment Weiss was hit. Recognizing the situation, Blake let go, putting up her hands in a sign of peace.

"Sorry." The faunus said simply.

"We're all a bit tense." Weiss smiled apologetically. "It's been rough recently." Winter frowned.

"Yes… Well, walk with me and tell me more about your partner here." The older Schnee ordered. She made a gesture, causing the soldiers around them to unfreeze from their position and start marching in pace with Winter's walk. The back of the little 'convoy' they had going on was made up of robots, as opposed to actual soldiers.

"She's not actually my partner." Weiss clarified as they made their way down the path towards Beacon. "Though, she might as well be. Oh! I never even introduced her. How forgetful of me! Winter, this is my good friend, Blake Belladonna." They exchanged nods of acknowledgement. Blake was a girl of few words, and that wasn't about to change because of Weiss' sister.

"She _not_ your partner? Really? I wouldn't have guessed, considering how… ' _Intimately_ ' you wrote about her to me." Weiss blushed heavily and Blake started coughing on the air she had been breathing.

"I-" Before Weiss could rush to clarify, the sound of robots being ripped to shreds stopped the convoy in its tracks. A mechanical head was tossed between their legs just as they all whirled around to meet this new threat.

"Hey!" A grizzled middle aged man called out. His shirt was stained, beard unkempt, and even from across the way, Winter could tell he was drunk. "Yeah, I'm talking to you, Ice Queen!"

"Halt." Winter ordered simply, causing her guards to stand down. With a glare that would send most people cowering away, the Atlas Specialist approaches the drunk old man. "You do realize that you've just destroyed Atlas property." The man squinted and looked around at the mess of machinery he caused.

"So it would seem…" He responded- Before cackling like a maniac. Winter gritted her teeth.

"I don't have time for your immature games, _Qrow_."

"Wait. You two know each other?" Weiss asked, but was thoroughly ignored.

"Heh. You Atlas Specialists think you're so special, don't you?" Winter stood a little taller.

"It _is_ in the name." She pointed out mockingly. Qrow ignored her as well.

"Well _I_ just think you're a bunch of power hungry pieces of _shit_ who would invade an entire country in the name of _peace_!" He was attracting some attention now, waving his arms around to point at all the Atlesian ships.

"Hold on-" Weiss tried to interrupt.

"It's time for you to go, Weiss. I'll talk to you later." Winter insisted.

"But-"

"Yeah, Weiss. Just listen to your big sister. She'll protect you. Just like Atlas is 'protecting' Vale, huh?" The drunken man spouted.

"If you will not hold your tongue, I will gladly remove it from you!" Winter finally broke, pulling out her sword. Qrow just gave her more of his unbearable smirk and got into a lax stance.

"Then come and get it." He challenged, causing quiet throughout the small crowd that had recently gathered. The two opponents stood there for a few moments, tense. And finally, Winter broke.

"Raaaaargh!" She announced her attack with a battlecry. With a speed incomprehensible to a normal human, the Atlas Specialist made short work of the ground between them, went for a killing stab to the face.

Her efforts were for naught, as Qrow simply moved his head to dodge, and continued to do so each time she stabbed. All the while, his smug smile remained, sparking even more anger from Winter. As she whirled around to try a new tactic, he pulled out his weapon, meeting her blade just above his face.

"You'll have to do better than that." He taunted. Winter didn't respond, simply growling.

They disengaged and once more sized each other up. Qrow looked as if he hadn't a hair moved- Perfectly relaxed and calm. Winter was the exact opposite. While she tried to maintain a professional facade, her true emotions shined through clearly. A few hairs were out of place in her previously perfect bun and she found herself panting slightly after the attack.

Without any words, but in complete sync, the two charged each other once more. Just as before, Winter took the offensive. And just as before, it meant nothing to the more experienced hunter.

Qrow took her strikes with ease, sliding in and out of his practiced stances like it was his job. And it was! But… Not exactly like this. While never actually attacking, the drunk had taken to prodding Winter's defenses with every slight mistake she made. If she reached to much, he manage a small cut on the forearm. If she forgot her footwork, a cut to the legs would remind her. He was doing barely any damage at all- In fact, from an outsider's perspective, he looked to be losing- but he was very clearing taunting her on her imperfections. A move which only served to further Winter's rage.

Every second that went by only increased Winter's disdain for the man before her. While she was not unused to being outmatched in a fight- due to her frequent bouts with the general- no opponent was every so… _Irreverent_ to her assault. General Ironwood could kick her ass, but he still treated her like a worthy opponent. _Qrow_ , on the other hand, acted as if she was nothing more than a bratty school girl. And that really pissed her off.

Jumping back from their clash, Winter planted a glyph laiden with explosive dust on the ground around Qrow, who simply jumped away from the blast. Close combat wasn't working, so the Atlas Specialist had decided to switch things up to long range. From her rapier, she let out numerous shots of dust and glyph enhanced bullets, all of which terminated at the end of the Hunter's sword. He didn't even bother returning fire, simply blocking every bullet as he stalked ever closer with that damned grin on his face.

When he was about five meters away, she lunged, and he proceeded to jump over her, expecting the maneuver. Winter barely had time to adjust as he crashed back down into her previous position, yet another crater in his wake. Now, it was his turn to attack.

Infinitely faster than he had blocked her strikes, he started dishing them out, completely overwhelming the young specialist. Cuts littered her body- especially on her arms and legs- degrading her perfect image to a shadow of what it once was. The pain was intense. Far more so than any of her previous spars with the General. Eventually, she lost hold of her weapon, yet the onslaught still continued. She wanted to cry out. Whether in pain, distress, or anger, she wasn't aware, but before she could, it all came to a sudden stop. Qrow's sword went back into its holder and he grabbed her by the neck before she could retreat.

"Never forget your superiors, _girl_." The drunk whispered harshly into her ear. "I've seen things you wouldn't even believe. I-"

"Qrow! Get away from her." General Ironwood shouting, his voice a saving grace from the heavens. Qrow sneered and roughly pushed her away. She stumbled, but remained on her feet. Quickly, ignoring the pain, she gathered up her equipment as Qrow turned to face Ironwood.

"Oh, calm down, Jimmy. We were just having a friendly spar, is all." James wasn't having any of it. Ignoring the hunter, Ironwood addressed Winter.

"Are you alright, Specialist Schnee?" He inquired. Finally given a moment of reprieve, the cuts on her arms had just started to heal up. Noticeably, though, quite a few blood stains spotted her outfit, yet no damage was done beyond her appendages and face.

"I am fine, General." She managed to say without flinching, snapping into a salute. Looking her up and down, the General shook his head.

"Report a medcenter and find a change of clothes. Then, take the rest of the day off to spend with your sister."

"Really, General, I'm-"

"That's an _order_ , Specialist Schnee." Winter flinched.

"Yes, Sir." She reluctantly accepted her duties before walking off, ignoring the eyes of the crowd. Qrow chuckled at her sudden departure.

"What a good lapdog you trained there, Jim-" Ironwood quickly turned back to him.

"Ozpin's office. _Now_." The anger was palpable. Qrow just rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, yeah. Don't get your panties in a twist."

* * *

"How could you do something like that!" James shouted immediately upon arrival to the office. "Not only did you injury my soldier, but you disrespected her as well! I won't tolerate this kind of recklessness!"

"Recklessness?" Qrow repeated, taken aback. "Tell that to your little specialist. _She's_ the one who attack _me_." Ironwood sighed.

"I'll talk to her. But _you_ should've known better, dealt with the situation in a more mature way." Qrow acknowledged this, but didn't say anything. In this case, Jimmy was actually right for once. Qrow had let his emotions get the best of him. And after he'd seen what had happened to Vale. He was ready to beat the shit out of anyone or anything that bore the Atlas name. "But more importantly," Ironwood continued. "Where have you been these past months? Do you think you can just drop off the grid and reappear unannounced without any consequences?"

"You see this?" Qrow mocked, pulling out his scroll. "It's called a 'Scroll.' And apparently, Atlas has the best ones, so if you ever wanted to contact me, I'm sure you could've found a way." His voice dripped with disrespect, and Glynda finally stepped in.

"We had reason to believe you were compromised." She explained.

"Yeah? Well, while none of you bothered to check if I was dead or not, I was out there, with the enemy, collecting information vital to our operation. For instance, our enemies? They're here. In Vale."

"We know." James responded, making Qrow upset.

"You know?! Then why the fuck aren't you doing anything!"

"We are!" James yelled back, gesturing to the window. "What do you think my ships are here for?"

"Last time I checked, _Jimmy_ , we did things subtly around here." Qrow pointed out, getting in Ironwood's face. "And what about your warship is _fucking subtle_?!"

"The time for subtly is over, Qrow." The general also pointed out, recomposing himself. "Our enemy has grown more bold, and so must we. If we _are_ to combat this threat."

"James is right." Ozpin finally spoke up, making Ironwood smirk slightly. "As much as I hate to admit it, our 'friend' has become increasingly hostile as of late and I fear for the citizens of Vale as much as I do for the world as a whole."

"So then, what's our new tactic that I was so rudely uninformed of?" The drunk backed down.

"The Vital Festival." James explained. "An opportunity too good to pass up. They'll strike and we'll be waiting." Qrow's jaw dropped slightly, before he started rubbing his forehead, trying to ignore his urge to kill the General.

"One, how the fuck have you not canceled that thing? And two, am I really hearing you planning to use civilians as fucking _bait_?"

"They're not bait. My soldiers are more than able to handle the safety of every civilian who attends the festival. It's been pushed back a few days, so to wait for more reinforcements from Atlas. And besides, with the newly implemented background checks, the people are safer than ever before." Qrow raised an eyebrow.

"Explain."

"Within the first week of the background checks becoming mandatory, we busted over seven different crime rings and even more in individual arrests. As it turned out, Vale was even more of a cesspool for crime than Mistral. But that's all changed now. Every citizen, worker, and tourist is required to take one before even coming an inch into the city." At his obvious gloating, the old hunter rolled his eyes.

"You sure are impressed with yourself for that move, catching all those 'criminals.' I happened to see a student on quite a few of those wanted posters. Tell me, is it babies next, Jimmy?" Ironwood brustled.

"That… 'Incident' was actually the reason we started doing the background checks in the first place. After he managed to fake his transcripts into one of the most prestigious schools in the world, no student was safe and all were extensively screened." James explained, before remembering something. "Your youngest niece almost would've been kicked out and detained if it wasn't for the fact that _you_ were related."

"Watch you threats, _Jimmy_." Qrow snarled. "You touch either one of those girls and I'll rip your head off." The general didn't respond, signaling the end of the conversation. "And speaking of my nieces, I think it's about time I check up on them." Looking back at the Three before getting into the elevator, he exited without a word.

* * *

A few minutes after the fight, and Winter looked and felt as if nothing had ever happened. Aura was a hell of a thing. She wanted to get right back to work, but orders were orders, and it was lunch time anyway. After a quick scroll message to Weiss, a plan was made and a lunch was scheduled.

Winter had insisted Blake come as well, wanting to get to know her sister's friends. From the little information she had been given, it sounded like Weiss hadn't been having a good time at the beginning of her year at Beacon. That all changed, though, when the younger Schnee started writing about her friend Blake. Winter already had a good idea as to why, but she wanted to interview the girl nonetheless.

Once they had all settled down somewhere nice and ordered their lunch, Winter began her questioning.

"How is Beacon?" The specialist said after a few inquiries. A bland question, but an important one.

"Beacon is… Different." Weiss responded after some thought. "It's a lot less professional and strict than Atlas."

"Yes yes, I know all that. I talking about _you_. How do _you_ like Beacon?"

"I… I enjoy it. I've had a rocky relationship with this place, but I'm not sure I could just leave."

"Interesting. And how about you, Blake? Why did you decide to come here?" The Faunus in question tilted her head, as if she had been ready and waiting to answer the question as well.

"Beacon was closest." Blake affirmed. She was telling the truth, but only part of it.

"Right. Location is always a factor. But how have you enjoyed your time at Beacon?"

"About the same as Weiss, I suppose. The first semester was annoying, but following that, everything became much easier- For the most part."

"Following your friendship with Weiss." Winter pointed out, making Blake smile slightly.

"Yeah. I suppose so." Blake turned to the mentioned heiress, but Weiss was looking at Winter, a slight blush on her cheeks.

"Anyway! What have you been up to, Winter?" Weiss asked.

"Classified." The Atlas specialist responded simply.

"Right. Umm. Where have you been, recently?"

"Classified."

"Of course. Why is it that you came to Beacon?"

"Classified." Winter responded once more, causing Blake to roll her eyes. "But also to see you. I don't think you'll get very far asking me anything, so let me take the lead on this."

"As you wish." Weiss backed down, content enough with her sister just _being_ here. Winter turned back to Blake.

"Where are you from, Blake?"

"Umm… Out of Vale." She replied, making Winter laugh.

"That much was obvious, based on the dress. You don't seem like an Atlas girl, nor Mistrali. Somewhere near Vacuo, then?" Blake hesitated, and before she could answer, Weiss stepped in.

"I'm sure Blake is exhausted about talking about her background so much. Those background checks do quite a number on a person." The younger sister noted, catching Winter's attention.

"All in the name of safety, Weiss. I trust it was no problem for you?"

"Not for her, but for the Faunus." Blake suddenly blurted out. "The number of Faunus incarcerated by the checks compared to humans was five to one."

"And?" The older huntress challenged.

"A little unfair, don't you think?" Winter shrugged.

"I wouldn't say so. The background checks didn't target Faunus, they merely shined light onto the evils in society. Whatever the form."

"And all Faunus are evil, then?"

"Not all. But if the shoe fits…" Winter paused and took another look at Blake. "You _have_ been checked, right?" Finally, before Blake could do anything stupid, Weiss cut back in.

"By Ozpin himself, actually." Winter nodded at this information.

She disliked the Professor's style, yes. Too passive, too slow. But even she trusted him to not harbor criminals in his school. The man was crazy, but not an idiot.

"Of course. I didn't mean any offense." The elder Schnee backed up on her comment. Looking at the time, she got up from her chair and gave the two a genuine smile. "It's been fun, but I must take my leave." Turning to Blake, she continued. "It was a pleasure to meet my sister's girlfriend. With you to make her happy, I'm sure she's in the right hands. Farewell."

With that, the Atlas Specialist exited the shop, leaving two spluttering and flustered huntresses in her wake.

* * *

Qrow found his youngest niece in the middle of training. The other one was nowhere to be found. She was probably out with her friends or something. Regardless, he hid in the shadows, watching Ruby fight.

The first thing he noticed was that she wasn't using her scythe, Crescent Rose. Instead, she wielded a sword and shield, which- as the second thing he noticed- she was rather proficient with. Qrow had never really seen a sight like this before. Normally she was inseparable from her scythe, so much so that not even _he_ could separate it from her.

Vale changed when he was gone. And so did she.

"Nice footwork." Qrow interrupted during a lapse in her spar. Both combatants stopped and turned to him. He gave them a wicked smile. "Hey, Red. Miss me?"

"Nope." Ruby replied with a small smile. Setting her weapon down, she walked over to her uncle and gave him a hug. "It's good to see you…"

For a moment, Qrow frowned. Ruby certainly _had_ changed. Where had all her hyperactivity gone? Her spunk? The Ruby he remembered would drop everything to jump on him whenever he visited. Where was that Ruby? The Hunter didn't dwell on this thought too long, though, and plastered a smile on his face once more.

"Good to see you too." He released her and tousled her hair. Had she grown it out more? Ugh, she looked more like Summer every time he saw her. "Now. Where's your sister? We can find her and go get some lunch."

"Yang's with her friends right now. That's what she usually does on the weekends. She won't be back for a while." Qrow frowned again.

"What's wrong, Ruby?" He confronted her. The old drunk was never one for subtlety anyway, so why not?

"I'm fine." His niece responded instantly. Bullshit.

"That's a lie and you know it. What's wrong? Can't you talk to your dear uncle?"

"I… I lost Crescent Rose!" This wasn't what was bothering her, he could tell. But at the same time, the new shocked him.

"You lost it?" He repeated, unbelieving.

"I want to make a new one." She practically confirmed, quickly moving on from the subject. "I want one like yours, that also turns into a sword." She moved to grab her sword and shield and showed it to him. "We can use this. There's enough material from the shield to do so, I know it. I've already started drawing up blueprints, but I want it to be perfect. Can you help me?" Qrow stared at her and the shield with the crescent moon she held. This was a lot to process at once. Not to mention, he hadn't even gotten to what was truly bother Ruby.

"I'm not sure I'll have the time for that." Qrow responded to her diplomatically. The reaper dropped the weapons to her side and looked away. Knowing that he wasn't going to get much more out of her, Qrow turned to the other girl in the room that he hadn't yet acknowledged.

"Pyrrha Nikos." He noted, impressed. "I'm surprised Ruby managed to get such a famous friend with how awkward she is." He joked, making both girls laugh slightly. "Are you her personal trainer or something?"

"More of a bodyguard." Pyrrha amended. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Bodyguard? What does she need a bodyguard for?" The champion simply raised an eyebrow and answered before Ruby could stop her.

"In case someone tries to assassinate her again." She told him as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. Again? What does she mean, again? Qrow looked back to Ruby, a pressing question in his eyes.

"I'll tell you everything if you help make my weapon." Ruby gave her ultimatum. Qrow… Qrow _really_ didn't know how to react now.

"I'll see what I can do."

* * *

Jaune was no stranger to pain. When you lived a life like his, that was a given. Aura healed all wounds, but even it couldn't prevent the pains of a sore muscle. Unfortunately for Jaune, that's all he was. Sore muscles and aching joints. Despite having gone _back_ in time, he couldn't help but feel like an old man.

His side had gotten better, but still hurt like a motherfucker to walk on. On top of that, there was still the issue of his eye… Or, well, the lack of it. That's another thing Aura couldn't do, replace nerves. Once his eye was damaged, there was no going back to how things once were. Looking to the bright side, though, it wasn't like he used a ranged weapon anyway, so the lack of depth perception didn't hurt him _too_ much.

Yeah, Jaune was in a rough spot. There could be no denying it. That being said… He hadn't lost hope. The future was screwed, but he couldn't bring himself to go down that train of thought anymore. No, his journey was just getting started. Whatever his journey happened to be.

* * *

 **Volume Three! We're in the homestretch now, people. This time, though, I actually have a rough outline for what I want to do, so that's new. Unfortunately, it won't be speeding up my upload time. I'm sure most people know exactly what I'm talking about when I say this time of year can be a bitch.**

 **Not much in terms of reviews this time, but that's alright. Just to clarify, Jaune is _not_ in jail. He's on the run. I can't go into more specifics because spoilers and all that.**

 **Regardless, it's good to be back on this story.**

 **Reviews always welcome, until next time,**

 **-RMV**


	22. Thinking with Portals

Roman paid back his debts. It was a weird quirk of his, one that Neo never quite understood. But no matter what the circumstances, Roman would pay back his debts. Because of that, he absolutely _hated_ being in debt- and loved having others in it.

That's why Neo spared Jaune's life when she woke up in his arms. Lying there, unconscious with a piece of metal through his side, he looked so… _Pathetic_. Pathetic and too easy to kill. And she could've done it- She _wanted_ to do it. Yet… She didn't.

He protected her from the crash, gave her enough aura to teleport away, saved her life. Debt. So, she repaid the debt- By not killing him where he slept. There was no other reason. That was it.

She repaid the debt.

And the next time she saw him, she would kill him.

* * *

The slums of Vale were a real shit show nowadays. Well, they always had been, but never to this extreme. Infrastructure and buildings deteriorated by the day, some people battled each other for shelter but most were homeless, and the White Fang basically ran that portion of the city.

Atlas had set up checkpoints at every entrance to rest of the city, allowing virtually no travel between the two. If families were cut off from each other, that was too damn bad because it didn't make a difference to Ironwood.

After the checkpoints, one had to only travel two or three blocks before arriving in White Fang territory, which was basically a death sentence for any humans that wandered the area. Not that being a Faunus was much better. If a Faunus joined the cause, they would be forced into labor, and if they declined, the White Fang would label them as traitors and make their life miserable. The White Fang never killed any Faunus on purpose, but would go so far as to implement a 'traitor tax' for all those Faunus that lived there but didn't join.

Then there was the safe zone. The few blocks in between Atlas and White Fang control, which stretches around the city. By far, it was the most crowded area, being the only safe place for humans. And it was also exactly where Jaune Arc operated.

Limping around on Neo's parasol, the inexperienced youth saw him as an easy target, and frequently they tried to mug him. However, the older men and women knew to stay the hell away from him. Whether it was that they knew the significance of his weapon, or just understood the look in his eye, they flinched when he looked in their direction.

Speaking of Neo's weapon, actually, it was astoundingly reliable. Despite appearing very fragile, the umbrella could take his full weight, and barely gave when he applied major force to snapping it. Jaune has to applaud whoever made the thing, because it was worth any price.

For the most part, though, Jaune paid no mind to his situation. While not physically, Jaune had achieved much worse in his previous life after the fall of Beacon. He scavenged what food and drink he could, but he relied on his aura to sustain him for the most part.

No, Jaune was thinking, planning, trying to understand just what had changed in this world and how he could make it better regardless. He wasn't at Beacon anymore, but he could still possible prevent the disaster during the Vital Festival if he was good enough. But most of all…

Jaune thought about his semblance.

* * *

Boy, did it feel good to be back in Vale. Sure the city was a shit storm politically, but who cared? Nothing could beat a nice spring day in the city streets. There was just a feel to it that one never got anywhere else. Besides, there was the Vital Festival, where surely nothing would go wrong. And that's why Sun Wukong was here, to enjoy himself and participate in the festivities.

The airship landed gently and Sun made his way off with the crowd. Everyone around was pushing and shoving to make their way to the front of the pack, but the monkey Faunus didn't mind. He let them pass, it was their loss for missing all the scenery. The airport was busy, as expected, but Sun lost no time. Since he didn't actually have any luggage, he was able to arrive at the checkpoint long before his flight mates did.

"Sir, I'm gonna have to ask you to step aside for a random check." A rather muscular woman ordered from beyond the line Sun was in. He nodded in compliance.

"Of course." He said, getting out of the line and assuming the position he was ordered to. With military elegance, the woman patted the Faunus down, stopping to reveal the weapon he had hidden in his back pockets.

"What is this?" She questioned, holding the nunchucks away from him.

"It's my huntsman weapon." Sun explained. "It's been completely licensed and registered and I have all the paperwork on me, and filed in your system. I also have both digital and paper copies of my huntsman-in-training license if need be." The woman narrowed her eyes.

"You're gonna have to follow me for an interview, while we confirm your information."

"Lead the way." He agreed in complete compliance.

The lady brought Sun to a dark room, with only a lamp to brighten the scene. She escorted him to sit down, and he noticed the full scale mirror on the wall next to him. She took his weapon with her with the promise that he'd see it again… Maybe. He chuckled and waited.

Eventually, a man stepped into the room with him. Looking just as powerful as the woman before him, the man noticeably had a pistol strapped to his side. He sat across from Sun with a clipboard full of documents and started to go through them.

Sun waited patiently for the man to finish, and after a whopping three minutes straight, the man looked up- slightly annoyed.

"Your files check out." He noted, a form of 'impressed' in his tone. The Faunus opened his mouth, but the man spoke before he could. "I just have one question, though. Why were you in Menagerie to begin with? I mean, I get that it's 'Faunus paradise' and all that, but you were meant to be _here_ , at Beacon. Why did you leave and what did you do?" Sun frowned, but it wasn't a frown of anger or resentment, but rather of sorrow.

"My great uncle… My family contacted me while I was here, and I immediately raced to get to the island. He was… Sick. Some kind of terminal illness- I don't know what- but by the time I got there, he had already passed. I stayed for the wake and funeral, and now here I am. Coming back."

"And do you have any proof of this event?"

"I filed it just behind my proof of leaving Vale. Surely you spotted it while 'reading' for all that time." The interrogator glared but searches the documents anyway, eventually coming across the proof Sun claimed to have.

"Right…" Plastering on a fake smile, the man stuck out a hand. "It seems this has all been a misunderstanding. I'm sorry to have wasted your time, and I give my sincerest apologies for your great uncle." Sun grabbed the hand and shook.

"It's completely alright. This is part of your job. If you didn't do it, I'd have gotten worried."

From there, Sun was on the fast track out of the airport. His weapon was handed back over to him, what little paperwork he owned was returned, and he was escorted to the front of every security line. Finally, the security officers brought him to the front doors, and left their apologies with him.

With a big smile, Sun opened the door to the outside world, and absorbed the feeling of being in Vale once more. The day was fantastic for being outside, and he could even see Beacon in the distance, his destination.

Then his smile dropped.

"Fucking Atlas…" He muttered, marching on into the city.

* * *

Ever since Pyrrha unlocked his aura for the second time, Jaune's semblance has been behaving oddly. For one, before she had unlocked it, the aura had refused to heal him. At first, he thought that was just something Fate has done in order to have things go as before, but… Well, Fate seemed to be doing jack shit right now, so he felt tempted to throw that theory out the window.

The second instance of an odd behavior with his aura, but the first one involving his semblance was actually on the docks. Though the whole night had pretty much condensed into a blur in his mind, he distinctly remembered being on the other side of the dock- across the water- before he raced in to help out Ruby and the gang. Along with that, he could also seem to distinguish him bending metal… Sort of how Pyrrha would. On top of that, Pyrrha was the last person he'd taken aura from, giving credence to his claim… Whatever his claim even was.

After that, the next weird thing happened with his fight with Neo on the CCT building. Yet again, the fight was but a blur in his memories- Especially from the loss of his eye- but he could still piece together what had happened to find the inconsistency. As he and Neo fell off of the tower, she had used her semblance to teleport them… Somewhere. It didn't really matter where, because almost instantly after, Jaune was teleported back to the tower, safe and sound. Neo was just about to kill him, so she wouldn't have brought him back, so what did? Hers was also the last aura he'd drained so…

He stole people's semblances to use for his own when he drained hem of aura.

Okay, so it sounded crazy, but that was the best he had.

Which was why he was here… On top of a roof… Trying to make himself teleport to the next.

It wasn't really working…

Though, perhaps it wasn't his theory that was incorrect, but rather the way he tried to prove it now. In the contexts that he'd previously described, Jaune was distressed in some way. He'd been consumed with rage when he was in the docks, and a mix of exhaustion and delirium on the CCT. Strong emotion- Possibly- Triggered this power.

So Jaune threw himself off the building.

Okay, so that wasn't the _best_ idea, but it wasn't the worst one. Jaune was a huntsman, through and through. And while he wasn't currently at peak condition, a fall from three stories wouldn't kill him. Despite this, the feeling of falling would trigger an intense feeling of fear in any person for a short time- Especially him, with all his past experiences falling.

In his mind, he pictured the roof he was just on, and willed himself to be back there- Tapping into the guttural feeling of fear that made his stomach rise to his chest. For a split second, Jaune was terrified.

And with a sound of broken glass, it worked.

Jaune stumbled as he landed, not expecting the jump in momentum or sudden placement right side up. He fell to his hands and knees, and stared at the ground, panting.

The obvious question- being 'how was this even possible- did cross his mind for a few seconds, but was overwhelmed by an even greater thought.

"I can fucking teleport!"

* * *

He spotted Blake and Weiss just where he thought they'd be, in the library. Sun had been gone a while, but it seemed their pension for research hadn't changed. Just as months ago, neither noticed him approaching until he was nearly in front of them.

"Guess who's back?" Sun greeted in a sing-song voice. Blake spun around, almost assuming a defensive stance, while Weiss shot up from the article she was reading. "Woah! I come in peace!" He raised his unarmed hands.

"Sun…" Blake finally said. "It's been a long time." Not that he expected it, but the Faunus girl displayed a clear lack of enthusiasm at his presence.

"Yup. Ever since that _thing_ with the White Fang. The one where you never came looking for me." His voice carried the slightest accusation, but Blake didn't budge.

"We sustained heavy injuries after you were gone. When we were finally out of the med bay, Ne- _Your_ _partner_ told us that you were going on an adventure. Is that… Not true?"

"Well, kinda." Sun confessed. "I mainly sent that text to Neptune so to not worry him, but I wasn't really going on any adventure."

"Then where were you?" Weiss piped up, carrying her own accusation.

"My Great Uncle became ill on short notice. I tried to get there in time but missed his death. The rest of the time I spent mourning with my family and preparing for the funeral. But now I'm back, and better than ever!" Weiss seemed taken aback by his blunt statement, and adjusted her stance to be less threatening.

"Oh… I'm sorry to hear that."

"It's alright." Sun waved off. "Like I said, my mourning was done with my family. I'll always miss him, but I'm coping." The monkey Faunus looked down, but then shook his head. "Anyway, enough about me, how have you guys been? I've heard some rumors about White Fang interactions- That I'm sure you were somehow apart of- And did I hear something about a dance?" At the word 'dance' both Blake and Weiss flinched slightly, making Sun pause.

"There was a train," Blake changed the subject. "From Mt. Glenn aimed directly at the city. We tried to intervene, but it wasn't enough. The train crashed and brought a portion of the city down with it- Attracting ancient Grimm from the tunnels. Soon after, Atlas took control of the city proper, and the White Fang got their hands on the slums." Sun blinked in stunned silence.

"Woah… I'm sorry I couldn't have been there to help." He apologized sincerey. "But surely there must've been some good in all the madness, what about that dance?" This time, only Weiss flinched.

"The past is the past." Blake referred to one of his two comments. "Let's _not_ dwell on it."

"Right… Anyway… Do you guys know where Neptune is? I haven't-"

"I'm gonna go." The Schnee suddenly interrupted. "It was good to see you again, Sun." Just like that, she departed.

"What's with her?" Sun conferred to his fellow Faunus. Despite his joking tone, Blake was far from amused.

"The dance happened."

"What about the dance?"

"I'll tell you, but only because you're his partner. This information doesn't get heard by anyone else. Got it?" Sun raised an eyebrow, but nodded.

Sun Wukong's blood ran cold.

* * *

It took a certain kind of people to live in the slums. Not everyone could do it. Poor quality of life aside, most people couldn't adapt the rough nature a person needed to continue on. Hunters, though, were one such people that _could_ make it in the slums. The slums, and much worse.

Unfortunately, not everyone on the planet was a hunter, and not everyone was cut out for the slums. Usually, these types of people simply wouldn't come to the slums, but with Atlas… It wasn't so much of a choice anymore.

And naturally, the White Fang took advantage. It wasn't an uncommon sight to see a person pulled into an alleyway by the radical gang, and have them come out missing the little they had before.

Jaune, for the most part, was forced to ignore these incidents. While he wanted nothing more than to protect the people, the sheer amount of occurrences made him unable to respond accordingly. Not to mention, he didn't want to paint a bigger target on himself than he had already.

But not today.

Channeling his new found power, Jaune appeared in the alleyway with the sound of broken glass and punched the first person he saw in the face. This… May have been the victim of the mugging.

"Sorry." Jaune apologized while everyone was still stunned by his entrance. "Still getting used to this. Teleportation is disorienting, you know." Gaining his balance, Jaune whirled around and attacked the _real_ targets.

The Faunus closer to him got laid out like a bitch, while the other one dodged back and pulled out his gun. Jaune responded with his own weapon- The umbrella- and opened it to completely deflect the incoming shots.

Pressing a hidden button caused a blade to spring out from the top of the parasol, and Jaune leaned forward to stab his shooter. The connection hit the White Fang member's ribs, but Jaune was distracted by the other Faunus getting back up before he could press the advantage.

The second Faunus began to open fire, only for Jaune to disappear with shattered glass. The bullet storm took out his partner, who was unfortunately in the way, leaving the radical Faunus idle in the alley.

Not for long, though, as Jaune suddenly reappeared behind the man, and jabbed. The blade went through the neck like a hot knife through butter, and the battle was over.

Jaune took a breath to calm his nerves, and then looked over to the person he just saved.

"Next time, be more-" The wanted man cut himself off, seeing as the person he was just protecting was long gone. Apparently taking the opportunity to run rather than staying to watch his savior. "Huff… Ungrateful."

* * *

 **One year anniversary! Also, passed 500 follows! A lot to celebrate. The next chapter will come soon to celebrate and is more exciting, but the festival still hasn't started yet, so filler.**

 **Now, reviews.**

 **I didn't think I'd need to spell this out, but here I am. Pyrrha and Ruby _do not_ think that Jaune tried to assassinate her. They _like_ Jaune. Pyrrha was referring to when Emerald LITERALLY tried to assassinate Ruby.**

 **We finally got some answers to Jaune's semblance! But there are still more questions to be answered... In time.**

 **Okay, I get this every time, so here we go. Not everyone hates Jaune. That's just not the case.**

 **Ironwood wanted to take Jaune in to be investigated, not necessarily saying that he was guilty. However it was when Jaune vanished like Neo, that Ironwood safely assumed that Jaune was guilty in some way. Why would he run if that wasn't the case?**

 **Yes, JauneSnake. Jaune lost his eye when Neo point blank shot it in the CCT fight. And no, he can't a cyborg eye, considering he's on the run and doesn't have any money.**

 **Until next time,**

 **-RMV**


	23. Double Date

"Took you long enough." Cinder complained, tapping her foot. The taps echoed throughout the empty warehouse, and her compatriot in the shadows smiled.

"Patience, Cinder. Why are you getting so worked up? Do you have somewhere to be?" Tyrian Callows asked sarcastically.

"Yes, and so do you. So let's speed this up."

"My my, so worked up. And… _Dressed_ up as well. You wouldn't be… Going on a date, would you?" Cinder's instinctual flinch told Tyrian everything he needed to know. He cackled. "Really? Ooo! Who are we trying to impress? I can help!" Cinder scowled.

"I'll do my mission and you'll do yours. So how about you focus on that, and maybe we can get something done." The half Maiden stated, making Tyrian frown.

"You're no fun."

"Just give me what you need to give me." Cinder growled, ignoring the Faunus' moping.

"Oh yes!" Tyrian exclaimed, instantly losing depression. "Here you are, from Salem herself." From his inner jacket, the man produced a silver flask and handed it to Cinder. She received it and looked inside.

"What is that?" She asked, referring to the thick black liquid it contained.

"What you need." Tyrian said simply. "Now drink up." He urged. Grimacing at the fowl smelling liquid, Cinder brought it to her lips, but stopped just before drinking it when Tyrian again spoke. "And did I mention that if you take more than a sip, you'll most likely die?"

She glared and proceeded on, taking her sip and instantly falling into a coughing fit. Then, she fell to her knee, legs suddenly feeling weak. Tyrian caught the flask before she spilled it, but purposefully failed to catch her.

"W- What is happening to me?" Cinder questioned through clenched teeth. The pain was mighty enough to make her pass out, but she was just conscious enough to comprehend it all. Tyrian stood over her, his face once more covered by a smile.

"Your aura is changing, becoming more- So that you can be stronger than ever before. You are channeling Salem!"

After a few more seconds that seemed like an eternity, the pain suddenly stopped, and Cinder was left on the floor, breathless. Tyrian nudged her with his foot, yet she didn't respond.

"The aura stealer won't be able to use his tricks anymore." He noted. "I guess I'll be going then. You should hurry up if you don't want to be late for your date."

And on that note, he left.

* * *

"And… Done. Thanks for your help Uncle Qrow, I'll take it from here." Ruby had just put the final marks on the blueprints to her new weapon when Qrow gave her an odd look.

"Don't you want me to help you forge it?" He asked, confused.

"No, Pyrrha has a semblance that can move metal however she wants, so there's really no need. She already agreed to help me with the base work, and then I can go in and add all the small details."

"If you're positive…" Her uncle agreed. "Now for you're side of the deal. What _happened_?" Ruby shook her head.

"No. Not yet… Not until it's completed." The little reaper insisted. Qrow frowned, but after seeing her face, nodded.

"Fine. But _soon_ , completed or not."

"Yeah, soon." Ruby affirmed, staring back down at the blueprints. Her uncle took one more look at her, and walked away, sensing that he wasn't wanted anymore.

It was an excellent design, really. And if she could pull it off right, it'd be one of the most dangerous weapons in the world. _If_ she pulled it off. No. Not 'if.' _When_.

Ruby wouldn't fail him. His legacy that he handed down to her. He wanted her to be a hero, and that's what she would be. A hero, strong, noble. For _him_.

A tear hit the blue page.

"I wish you were here, Jaune…"

* * *

Ever since Atlas moved in, Junior's bar was unfortunately 'shut down.' So instead, she had found herself a more higher end bar to go to. The atmosphere was certainly different from the underlying hostility of Junior's, but this wasn't necessarily a bad thing. The place exuded warmth and comradery, despite the troubling times the city faced. Cinder would be sad to see it go.

"Finally here, huh? I thought you were gonna stand me up for a moment." A boisterous voice called Cinder's attention to the table. Yang Xiao Long leaned against the bar, a pink drink in her hand. As per usual, a cocky smile sat on her face, and she motioned for Cinder to join her.

"Never. Not to _you_." Cinder denied, making Yang look away. "I'll have whatever she's having." The dark haired woman ordered her drink.

"You look good. I feel like I under-dressed." Yang commented once they were situated. She eyed Cinder up and nodded in approval. Cinder did the same to her in return.

"I could say the same about you. You really know how to rock the short-shorts, Yang." Yang snorted and Cinder smiled into her drink.

"So what held you up this time?" The huntress in training questioned.

"Work." Cinder answered plainly.

"And what do you do for work again?" Yang pressed. Cinder smirked at the question.

"Wouldn't you like to know." Yang raised an eyebrow.

"What's that supposed to mean? What are you, a secret agent?"

"Oh it's secret alright. The conspiracy goes all the way to the headmasters themselves. I could tell you, but then I'd have to kill you." Cinder looked blankly on as Yang gave her a inquisitive look, as if trying to understand if she was lying or not. Then Cinder started laughing, and Yang quickly joined in.

"Good one. But really, what do you do?" The elder woman ignored this question.

"Come on, let's grab a booth already. I'm tired of standing up." She insisted, pulling Yang along.

They eventually found a booth to sit at and continued their conversation. While the flirting continued and they had a good time, Cinder kept dropping hints throughout the chat. Whenever Yang would call her out on these, Cinder would conveniently have an explanation, or just ignore the question entirely. Tonight was the night, no more messing around. How far could Yang go?

"-Not that I'd ever be alone with Ozpin, so help me." Cinder finished off a joke. Instead of the traditional laughter, though, Yang looked at Cinder puzzled.

"What do you mean?" The huntress asked.

"Well, I mean, have you ever been in a room alone with that guy? He just acts so weird."

"How so?" Yang continued.

"I don't know, he just… He just seems like he's 'bigger' than everyone else, that he knows the secret that no one else knows."

"The secret?" Yang leaned in, and Cinder followed her lead.

"Like… 'The truth to the Grimm' or, 'The secret to immortality' or… What's hiding _underneath_ _the_ _school_ …" Yang's eyes were wide now, and she was totally focused.

"What is?" She clamored for information. Suddenly, Cinder sat up straight again.

"How am I supposed to know? It wouldn't be much of a secret then, would it?" To this, Yang slammed her glass on the table, nearly making Cinder jump.

"Alright. I've had enough of the 'mystic' bullshit. Just tell me what's going on already!"

"I don't know-"

"Don't give me that crap." The fiery blonde interrupted. "I'm not stupid. Everytime we're together, you start dropping hints about some 'crazy conspiracy' that you clearlyW want me to know about. I enjoy our time together, but if I hear one more out of context conspiracy quote, I'm going to kill someone."

Both she and Cinder sat silent for a while, contemplating what was said. Finally, Cinder looked to Yang with a devious smile.

"Are you sure you want to know? Once you do, there's no going back."

"Yes." Yang answered with conviction. Cinder shrugged.

"Don't say I didn't warn you. Now, come on. We need to find a private hotel room or something. **"**

Watching Cinder saunter away, Yang couldn't help but wonder what she had just gotten herself into.

* * *

It was bound to happen at some point, right? With all the craziness Jaune kicked up, and the changes he had made, it was only a matter of time.

And to this point, Neo could've been a henchwoman of Salem that just got killed off before they ever met in the original timeline. It was entirely possible.

Anyway, Tyrian was chasing him through the streets of the slums. Yeah, that was unexpected.

One moment, he was walking along, minding his own business. And in the next, he locked eyes with an insane Faunus. For the first second, Tyrian was confused as to how Jaune could recognize him, but that confusion turned to glee, as it meant that subtlety was out the window and the chase was on.

Jaune ran for a variety of reasons. For one, a battle in a crowded area could get people hurt, and Tyrian certainly wasn't above using hostages. Next- a more selfish reason- Fighting in public drew attention to him, and attention was the last thing Jaune needed right now. And also, he was a little too battered right now to want anything to do with a fight.

It took a few moments, and Tyrian nearly grabbing him, that Jaune remembered that he could teleport. Well, it wasn't even that he remembered, but rather that he automatically flashed on top of the building he was looking at.

This revelation elicited a laugh from Jaune, one which Tyrian heard, and the chase continued. Damn, was this Faunus in his ass.

After a few more teleports, Jaune soon realized that this was eating through his aura like crazy. Considering that he had way more aura than Neo, and Neo could teleport forty times in a single battle at _least_ , things didn't quite add up.

He theorized that either, his semblance taking abilities upped the amount of aura needed to use a semblance, of maybe it took years of practice to get used to a semblance at that level of proficiency, where it took barely any aura. Possibly, it was a combination of the two.

Regardless, if Jaune didn't get away from Tyrian soon, he'd be all out of aura to fight with. So either he stood and fought, or he continued to hopelessly run away.

The option was obvious.

Finding an abandoned building- an empty, earn down factory with an open roof to the inside- Jaune turned towards his chaser and stood his ground.

"I always wanted to kill you, anyway."

The mad Faunus just cackled.

* * *

"You know, I really shouldn't be telling you any of this." Cinder confessed in their private hotel room. She laid on the bed lazily while Yang leaned on a desk.

"And yet, here we are." Yang noted. "Why?"

"I can't help it. You remind me of myself when I was younger, more naive to the full of energy to be melded into a more _useful_ shape." Cinder pauses from her musings and smiled. "Plus, I like you. Which, coming from me, is a _very_ rare event."

"Lay it on me. Enough with the suspense already."

"Would you like the short version or the long one?"

"Short. I just want to hear it already."

"There's a Queen of the Grimm and Ozpin knows about her. He hops from body to body, manipulating and throwing people to the frontlines of their war to be slaughtered." Cinder stated, completely deadpan. Yang blinked a few times, unable to comprehend the words just given to her.

"Umm… Long version please." Cinder smiled.

"I knew you would say that."

* * *

"So basically," Yang tried to sum up. "This 'Queen of the Grimm' has been trying to make peace with humans for centuries, so they don't kill her babies, but Ozpin has always stopped her because he wants to control the world himself?"

"Yup." Cinder confirmed.

"And in return for helping her, she promises her followers anything they want once the war ends?"

"Exactly."

"I'm… Not quite sure how to take this information…"Cinder just raised an eyebrow and Yang continued. "I mean, first of all, do you even have any proof for your claims? Because that's one of my biggest hang ups right now, to be honest."

"Oh, I have _plenty_ of evidence, but right now… You're going to need a little faith. Do you believe me? Will you support my fight against Ozpin?" Cinder questions, climbing out of the bed and up to Yang

"I…" Yang hesitated. "You're asking a lot here…" As she spoke, the dark haired beauty leaned in closer.

"Maybe this will change your mind." Cinder gambled. And with that, Cinder locked Yang in a kiss.

Initially, Yang was hesitant. Was this really what she wanted? But at the same time… She thought about her time in Beacon and her current life. It wasn't exactly… The 'best' at the moment. Things could be a lot better. Yang wanted more.

Whether it was Yang's greed, lust, or something else entirely, the blonde eventually leaned into the kiss, and things quickly became heated.

Now, her fate was sealed.

* * *

Tyrian was trying to taunt him, but Jaune was really in his own world at the moment. On top of fighting the mad Faunus, he was also considering a theory. If he took Tyrian's aura, would he still have Neo's semblance?

This was an especially tricky question because, sure, he could test it out, but what if Callow's semblance had something to do with his madness? Or what if he _did_ lose the ability to teleport for a much less useful semblance? That would suck.

Jaune blocked one of Tyrian's blades and swiftly dodged the other, swiftly transforming his umbrella weapon from open to closed and stabbing at Tyrian's chest. The Faunus evaded backwards with a laugh.

"You're gonna have to try harder than that!" He cackled as Jaune pressed the advantage, stabbing a few more times at anywhere the Faunus seemed open.

Tyrian dodged or blocked it all, actually _jumping over_ Jaune and landing behind him. He went to slash the back, but a well timed opening of the umbrella stopped him. Jaune then pushed the umbrella backwards, towards Tyrian, giving him enough space to adjust his position. The small bout ended exactly where it started.

Then they continued on.

The fight lasted a fair few minutes longer, neither side gaining an inch. Tyrian looked to be enjoying himself, Jaune, not so much. Eventually, though, even the mad Callows got bored of this.

"Enough is enough, let's really get the show started!" He announced, throwing off his trench coat to reveal his coiled scorpion tail. Jaune blankly stares as Tyrian looked to him for a reaction. "You knew about my tail as well, huh? Interesting…"

Now was the time for Jaune to strike. If he wanted to test his theory, and take out a major enemy, he could do so all too easily.

As his first attack, Tyrian flung his tail towards Jaune, causing him to make up his mind.

Reaching out, Jaune went to take Tyrian's aura. Once he did this, Tyrian would be stunned, allowing Jaune to cut off his tail, and from there, finish the job.

Unfortunately, though, Salem had other plans.

As Jaune tried to take Tyrian's aura, he was unprepared for the darkness that stopped him from taking more than surface level. While he went to cut off the Faunus' tail anyway, Tyrian was able to react in time, just barely taking a nick of Jaune's blade.

Looking at his tail for a moment, then staring back at Jaune, Tyrian's surprised face quickly morphed back into that of a smile.

"You cheated!" He exclaimed suddenly. "Oh that won't do, I'll be back next time to put you in your place." And just like that, Tyrian quickly and his retreat, carefully coiling up his tail.

Jaune simply stood there, disappointed. Why? Well, Tyrian was alive, Tyrian had his tail, and-

He couldn't teleport anymore.

"Damn it."

* * *

 **Well, so much for the 1000 words a day thing. I pretty much abandoned that, but I have been trying to at least write everyday, and that's been better. Unfortunately, that doesn't mean that I'm writing Fan Fiction everyday, and that's why this chapter took so long. Not to mention, just life in general.**

 **Just to clarify, Atlas doesn't just think that because Jaune ran away he's guilty. It's also the fact that he displayed a similar power to the criminal Neo- creating a possible connection between the two- and has forged transcripts- meaning he shouldn't even be in the school to begin with.**

 **That all for this chapter, I wish I could get out more, but it seems like the summer will be just as productive as every other season in the year.**

 **Until next time.**

 **-RMV**


	24. Getting The Gang Together

"Dude, where have you been all this time? You've been gone so long that you missed the registration for the tournament." Neptune complained, his arms crossed in his signature 'cool guy' style.

"A relative of mine passed away." Sun finally answered since he met up with the blue haired hunter. His voice lacked the usual enthusiasm he normally spoke with. As the monkey Faunus sat on a tree stump, loading his weapon, Neptune couldn't help but get the feeling like something was off about his best friend.

"Oh… I'm sorry to hear that, dude. It's good to have you back though. And I'm sure you'll be feeling better- You know, amongst friends."

"Friends…" Sun drew out the word awkwardly, unconsciously making Neptune shiver. The monkey said no more, and Neptune was forced to continue the conversation.

"Yeah… So- Umm- Why did you bring us out into the Emerald Forest anyway? Is it to hunt some Grimm? I know that always helped me deal with things."

"You always has a way with the ladies." Sun commented, ignoring Neptune's question. As Sun finally stared towards the human, Neptune couldn't help but notice the emptiness in his eyes.

"What do you-"

"Everywhere we traveled, every 'hot girl' you saw, you always made your catch." Sun continued, not letting Neptune say his piece. "But sometimes… They rejected your advances. They wanted no part in your game. And after those encounters, you got _frustrated_. But after enough attempts- one, two, three?- _You always got what you wanted_." Neptune placed a hand on his gun.

"What are you trying to say?"

"You know _exactly_ what I'm saying and you know _exactly_ what I'll do to you." Sun replied, moving into a battle stance. "Yet- As much as I hate to say it- We used to be friends, so I'll at least give you the dignity to _try_ and fight your way out."

"You really want to do this, Sun? Call it a prank and we can get back to campus right now. The authorities don't need to get involved." Sun smirked.

"Oh, my authorities already _are_ involved. And I'm _sure_ they approve." He revealed, making Neptune's eyes narrow.

"I thought you weren't into that 'White Fang' bullshit." Sun didn't respond. Instead, he charged.

* * *

"You play a dangerous game coming here, human. But I admire your audacity, so I grant you permission to speak before you die." Adam commanded from his makeshift throne, placed deep in the heart of White Fang controlled Vale.

"I'm just here to remind you of which side you're on." The burly man stated simply. He had brown eyes that gave a tired look to his features.

"Oh? And how will you do that?"

"With words. By force if necessary." The man sighed. He didn't seem very 'enthused' to be having this conversation. Perhaps he already knew what his fate would be.

"Alright then," Adam agreed. "Speak your words."

"You recently cut ties with Cinder Fall-"

"So you work for her, then."

"No." The man clarified. "I work for her boss."

Adam took a moment to process the information given to him, but when he finally finished, he made a sweeping gesture around the room.

"Everyone, leave us. And uncuff this man." After dealing with the mild protest, Adam's guards did as they were told, and the bull Faunus was left alone in the throne room with the man. "So the fiery bitch has a boss, eh? I'm surprised, she doesn't seem the type to subjugate herself like that."

"I'm not here to talk about Cinder's part in all this." The man rubbed his wrists after the tight cuffs were removed. "I'm here to talk about yours."

"And that is, exactly?"

"You will lead your forces in an attack on the Vital Festival and Vale, right on our cue. You'll get what you want, we'll get what we want. Everyone leaves happy, with Vale in pieces."

"As enticing as that offer is…" Adam pretended to consider. "I'm gonna have to decline. I've already let my troops get led on a suicide mission into the city once before, and it nearly costed me my position. Now with the Atlesian military here? Thanks, but no thanks. I'm perfectly happy taking over Vale one house at a time."

"The Atlesian military won't be a problem. That, I can assure you."

"Assurance or not, I've made my decision. So _leave_."

"You _don't_ understand." The man insisted, starting to lose his previously maintained cool. "When Salem has a job for you, you _do_ _it_. Either that, or _you die_."

"So your boss's name is Salem, huh?" Adam mocked the man's slip up. "Interesting." The man's face darkened, and he regained his even temper.

"There's a storm coming to Vale, Adam Taurus. And if you don't find shelter soon, you'll be swept up in the winds like everyone else in this insignificant city."

With a cocky smile, Adam stood from his throne and unsheathed his blade.

"Go ahead and try." He announced, making the man smirk.

"The name's Hazel, by the way." Hazel remarked.

"And why should I care?" Adam responded.

"Because it'll be the only thing you remember after I smash your head into the ground."

* * *

Sun first swung out with his staff, trying to close the gap between them as Neptune automatically fired his gun. The human responded by jumping back as Sun let the bulk of the shots get absorbed by his aura. He then mecha-shifted his staff into its gun form, and returned fire.

The two former friends ran circles around each other in the clearing, fulfilling the urge of their itchy trigger fingers. Eventually, though, they simultaneously stopped and assess the damage. Both Sun and Neptune got off with little more than a scratch, showing just how effective aura was. And just how useless their bullets were in this fight.

"Heh." Neptune was able to get out a laugh before Sun transformed his guns back to a staff, and he followed suit with his lance. They started to circle the clearing yet again.

Neptune started off the proper fight with a lunge and stab directly at Sun's stomach. Sun redirected the blow upwards and came in close with a downward elbow to the face. Neptune responded with a knee to the side and counterspin, bringing his lance up just in time to block Sun's bash at his head.

The human was able to push Sun off, but wasn't able to expect the back kick Sun delivered before he fell to far. Sun took Neptune's recoil as a chance to get a hit to the head in, but Neptune was experienced enough to take kick and keep on going. Using his levage to turn both combatants to face each other, the blue haired Hunter stabbed forward, aiming for Sun's toned and exposed chest. Sun narrowly escaped the blade by turning to the side- having his jacket get torn- but used the attack to his advantage. The human ended up falling past his target, while the faunus brought his staff back around to get a hit on the back of Neptune's head. They both recovered from the attack by facing each other, managing to completely swap places.

The circling started up once more, this time Neptune looking slightly worse for ware. However, it was not him that reengaged the battle. Instead, Sun fired a shot from the end of his staff, and while it did little to hurt the human, the attack _did_ serve as a distraction. Sun took the time in the midst of Neptune's flinch to detach his staff at the center, instead wielding nunchucks which he brought down with great force on Neptune's neck and side.

Neptune took the hits like a champ, rolling to the side where the force of the blow led him, and bouncing back up just in time to meet Sun's next attack. Pressing his advantage, Sun brought both his nunchucks down on his opponent, where Neptune met him halfway- Turning his lance into a trident and catching the two nunchucks in between his blades. Neptune continued upwards to hit Sun on the head, though the faunus' aura didn't allow for it to be a fatal blow.

Before Neptune could ruminate on the success of ripping his enemy's weapon from their hands, Sun reacted to his loss of weaponry by tackling into his human adversary, serving to also disarm him.

The fight from there descended into a mad brawl, as both former friends ruthlessly beat on each other- Rolling around in the dirt, with neither gaining a clear advantage over the other. The punching came to a sudden stop, though, as it was interrupted by a loud roar. Looking over, the pair could see the creator of the roar- An Ursa accompanied by several other Grimm- and it was not looking too happy at being ignored.

* * *

As Hazel said his killer one liner, Adam jumped into action. He wasn't about to let this damn human mock him in his own throne room, and sure as well wouldn't lose to the arrogant man in a fight. One hit should do the trick.

Unfortunately, Adam's prediction was not to be so, as Hazel caught Wilt without so much as blinking. Suddenly, Adam found himself thrown to the side of the room in a heap, unprepared for his opponents level of skill.

Hazel allowed Adam to pick himself up from the pile of rubble created when he slammed into the wall and dust himself off. The cocky grin on the Bull faunus' face was gone now, replaced with a scowl.

"Alright then…" Adam muttered as he moved himself back into attacking position. "Let's get serious."

To any onlookers, Adam's next attack would seem like a complete blur, with Adam seemingly teleporting around the room, leaving large, glowing, red cuts in his wake. Finally, Adam ended his attack by sitting back down on his throne, content to watch the human fall to pieces before him.

Instead, he was once more treated to the sinisterly smiling face of Hazel, having not moved a muscle since the attack started.

"Clearly, not _that_ serious." He taunted. At this, the faunus in command stood up and grabbed the hilt of his sword so tight that could be seen as white if only he didn't wear gloves.

"How?!" Adam demanded, while Hazel shrugged.

"Why don't you come and find out?" The man offered.

Adam responded with a roar of anger, and yet another charge.

* * *

With Grimm approaching on all sides, Sun and Neptune got off each other and scrambled for their weapons. Apparently, having a duel to the death with your ex-best friend stirs up a lot of negative emotions to attract Grimm- Not to mention all the gunshots- Who knew?

Well, Sun and Neptune didn't when they made their way out there, and were now dealing with the consequences as the tried to make their way back. Together, the two fell back into their long forgotten routine, with Sun calling out orders, and Neptune following them to the tee- Almost as if they _weren't_ trying to kill each other earlier.

Back to back, they fought through the endless hoard of Beowolves and Boarbatusks, reverting back to their most basic instincts of teamwork. Sun even cracked a real smile- The first one since he had gotten back to Beacon.

Unfortunately, all good things came to an end, and one of them would make a slip up eventually. Such was the nature of fighting while exhausted. It was Neptune that overextended with his attack on an Ursa to be pounced on by a Beowolf, and it was Neptune who the Grimm became more attracted too, sensing his fear far more potently than Sun's.

Sun used the opportunity of the distracted Grimm to jump up to safety on a tree, before realizing exactly _why_ they were distracting. Turning back around to make sure Neptune was okay, the monkey faunus witnessed the Beowolf tearing at his teammate and instinctually pulled the trigger of his staff, aiming right for the Grimm. The barrel clicked, and no shot fired.

Sun was out of ammo.

It was in that moment that Sun remembered exactly what he was out here to do. He remembered the mission, the White Fang, and the crimes Neptune had committed. He remembered his torture by Atlas, and suppressed the memories of his past. Sun's look of happiness, which had turned to a look of distress, now turned to a face of blankness, as he stared at the struggling Hunter.

Neptune saw the stare, and was quickly able to deduce just what was happening.

"Sun! Please!" The human yelled amidst the black fur and bone plating that surrounded him. Recognizing the perfect situation he found himself in to frame Neptune's murder on the Grimm, Sun turned away from the struggling body, and began leaping from tree to tree, away from the scene and towards safety. "Sun! Please! PLEASE! SUUUUUNNN!"

The faunus' face didn't react as he heard the deserved scream of death from yet another random, wicked, human.

* * *

The leader of the White Fang of Vale panted, down on one knee. So far, his offensive proved to be all but useless against the monster of a man, who simply stood there waiting for him to get up again. Now, there was no other choice. Adam needed to use his semblance.

Adam's hair and weapon began glowing red as both he and Hazel turned to shadow. The room became shades of red and black, and an intense pressure of power was being released the one faunus in the room.

Drawing off all the damage he had sustained in their fight, and the intense hatred he felt for not just mankind, but Hazel himself, Adam shook in anticipation. All the while, Hazel stood there, unmoving. Finally, Adam was ready to show Hazel his maker.

The movement was instant, imperceivable to the naked eye. And Adam never even saw it coming. In a singular moment as time stopped, Adam forced Hazel to make his first major movement of the fight. Hazel dodged.

Not only did Hazel dodge, but in the second everything returned back to normal, Hazel jumped on Adam, smashing the bull in the face with unimaginable strength.

The punches kept coming, and Adam's world was pain. His face went bloody, his nose broken along with his mask and even a horn. After an eternity, however, the rain of blows came to an end.

"Do you surrender?" Hazel asked calmly.

"Never…" Adam spit out weakly through the blood. Hazel faked going for another punch and Adam flinched, causing Hazel to smile.

"We'll be in touch."

* * *

Arthur Watts twirled his mustache while sitting in his very own lab in Atlas. The latest message from Salem was certainly an interesting one, and it seemed he'd have to deviate from his current mission to complete his new task.

"Charles!" Watts shouted as he stood up from his chair. The bumbling intern came rushing in as soon as he heard the call.

"Umm- Yes, sir?"

"Inform whatever authority it may concern that I will be heading to Vale to check on my latest inventions."

"Yes, sir." Charles confirmed. Arthur stared at the boy in silence for a few moments longer before the boy spoke up again. "You mean… Now, sir?"

"Yes!"

"Right away, sir!" The intern squeaked in surprise as he ran away. Arthur cracked his neck of the cricks in it.

He had work to do.

* * *

 **Two fights, two character intros, and one death scene. What a chapter.**

 **I wanted to get back to the fighting of the series, because I feel like I've fallen away from that, so I kinda just went for it. Apologies for the short chapter, though. I literally wrote it all in a day, so that speaks to its quality.**

 **Anyway, t** **he reason Adam and Hazel's fight was so lackluster was not to show the difference between their skill levels- as both are very close in the category- but rather in their tactics. Adam's one shot kill technique is rendered obsolete by someone with such insane durability as Hazel, and I really wanted to emphasize that by showing just how unmatched Adam is when compared to Sun and Neptune's fight. Did I get the point across?**

 **As for reviews,**

 **Some people like the Yang thing, some people don't. I won't comment on it.**

 **But some people are still confused about Ironwood's reasoning, so I'll explain it once more. Ironwood doesn't think Jaune has Neo's semblance, he thinks that Neo somehow got Jaune out of the hospital before he could be arrested. How? He doesn't know, but it sure looked like her semblance. And that's why he thinks Jaune is in league with Neo.**

 **Until next time,**

 **-RMV**


	25. Seeing Things Through

"I guess it all really started when we intercepted a White Fang attack at the docks." Ruby began.

"Why?" Qrow immediately interrupted. He had been working tirelessly to make Ruby keep her promise, and now she was finally committing.

"Blake was- Umm… Had a hunch that they would be there, and she really wanted to fight them, so she went off on her own and the rest of the team had to come to protect her."

"And what happened?"

"We got our butts kicked." Ruby said with a laugh. "I thought we were going to die, but we didn't. We survived." The reaper paused for a moment, thinking back on different times.

"Go on." Qrow pushed. It was clear that something bad had happened to her, and if he wanted to help, he needed to know.

"For a little bit, everything went back to normal, but Blake wasn't satisfied. She wanted to find out more about the White Fang-"

"So I have Blake to blame for all this." The older hunter realized.

"Well, no." Ruby amended, defending her teammate like a good leader. "We all had the desire to find out more. Blake was just the only one with the initiative to do so." After that brief distraction, the leader of Team RWBY continued. "We ended up crashing a White Fang recruitment rally. There, we fought Neopolitan Torchwick-"

"You fought Neo Torchwick?!" Qrow asked, absolutely astounded that his own niece could get into this much trouble.

"Yeah…" Ruby replied sheepishly. "I destroyed her mech." Despite himself, Qrow couldn't help but smile at the innocence in Ruby's voice.

"Wait, why did she have a mech? Was she _in_ it?"

"I don't know, but if _you_ had a mech, wouldn't _you_ get in it?"

"Touché."

"Yeah, so we did that, and I got stabbed in the leg-" She paused for her uncle's groan of disbelief. "And then after I recovered, I went to the school dance. Unfortunately, I spilled something on my dress, so I was going back to my room to change when I was ambushed- That's the 'assassination' Pyrrha was referring to."

"Why?!"

"Neo was in Beacon that day as well, so maybe it had something to do with her?" Ruby offered, though she didn't seem convinced by her own theory. "Anyway, I recovered from that as well, and the next thing my Team did was go on our first official mission."

"And how did that go wrong?" The Branwen brother couldn't help but ask.

"It turned out the we went to the exact location of a top secret White Fang operation, where they were loading a train with dust to try and blow a hole in the city."

"Yes, I heard about this in the news. Just tell me your part in it."

"Nothing much, really. I got separated from my team for a little bit, but I was okay. Then I made it to the front of the train when it crashed. I was fine for the most part, but that's how Crescent Rose was broken."

"Okay, okay." Qrow accepted. "And how did you get the sword? That was one of the best looking non-mechanized weapons I've seen in a long time, so I don't imagine that you simply bought it."

"Crocea Mors, that's it's name."

"You mean like the Arc's?" The hunter raised an eyebrow.

"His name was Jaune, and he was absolutely fantastic. He was the one who first showed me how to use a sword, and along with Pyrrha, he's the one who made me as strong as I am today."

"Sounds like my baby niece has a crush. Where is this guy so I can meet him and beat him up?" Ruby didn't deny his words, but simply answered with a sad smile.

"He's not around right now." She said with no further explanation.

"Oh… Yeah. Umm… Sorry to bring it up."

"It's no problem." An awkward silence descended as they found themselves at a loss for words. Eventually, Qrow spoke up.

"I think it might be best if you leave Be-"

"No way in hell." Ruby instantly interrupted his train of thought. "I'll be here in Vale for the Vital Festival, and you can just try and stop me."

Qrow stepped back and took an objective look his niece. He saw much more than what he used to see. So much strength, so much pain. This girl was not the girl he knew from Signal, yet, she was his niece all the same. He sighed.

"Stay safe, Ruby."

"No promises."

* * *

"So… What are we doing for the tournament? We were registered alongside all Beacon teams, but we need to submit the application for who will be advancing and the deadline is today." Ruby probed her team for ideas. They weren't exactly the most thoughtful right now, though, as it was five o'clock in the morning. One of the only times in the day where the entire team could be in the same room without yelling at each other.

"Does it matter? Just pick someone and get it over with." Blake complained.

"Yes, it _does_ matter. Team composition is what will get us through round two. Round one, we have no choice in the matter, and round three is one on one, so round two is really the clinch pin to whether or not we win the tournament. The deciding factor made before, not during the fights." To the shocked looks of her teammates, Ruby sighed. "It's fighting. I do my research."

"Well, obviously I have to go on to the finals. I'm objectively the strongest one of us all." Yang reasoned. Whether she had woken up on the right side of the bed, or was too tired to be argumentative, Ruby's sister was behaving herself well this early morning.

"Yeah, but… You don't exactly… 'Play nice' with everyone else. And you'd have to work with Weiss or Blake if you wished to get to the finals." Ruby reasoned.

"Why can't I just fight with you?" Yang pointed out, but the leader of Team RWBY shook her head.

"No. I'm already doing something during those rounds, and I'm not gonna reschedule." In a another time, in another world, the members of Team RWBY might have asked their leader where she was going, or at least inquired as to her activities. But this was not that world, and these were not those members. Instead, Yang and the others nodded their heads at this excuse and went on brainstorming.

"How about Weiss and I fight?" Yang finally reasoned. To this, Weiss had an objection.

"In case you forgot, _Yang_ , we don't get along. By any stretch of the words." The eloquent heiress stayed bluntly.

"Well, it's not like Blake can go with you," Yang rebutted. "A team match, that's safe enough. But a two on two fight? The announcers go through your backstory to engage the crowd. Someone would be bound to recognize her." This well thought out argument actually made Weiss and Blake pause.

Holding her hand out to Weiss, Yang took a chance.

"I know we've had a rocky past together, and I know we don't like each other. But for this tournament, I'll play nice. I'll be a good teammate. If not for you or me, than for Team RWBY. Yeah?" The room was deadly silent as everyone waited to see what the punchline of Yang's joke would be. Yet, the punchline never came. Instead, Yang stood there, courteously waiting for a response.

"I- I- Are you serious?" Weiss blurted out.

"As much as I could possibly be." Yang responded.

"Well… Alright then." Weiss agreed and shook the blonde brawler's hand. At this, Ruby's eyes lit up. This was certainly unexpected. Maybe she should wake them up early more often.

"Go Team RWBY!" Ruby declared.

"Let the tournament begin." Yang followed up.

* * *

"Blake, can I talk to you?" Sun called out to the cat Faunus as she sat in the library with Weiss Schnee. Blake put her book down for a moment and glanced at him.

"Yes?" She asked, not moving from her chair.

" _Alone_?" Sun insisted. Blake looked to Weiss and the heiress raised an eyebrow at this, but shrugged. Sighing, the White Fang hunter got out of her seat and followed Sun to a more private area in the library.

"Well?" She insisted, slightly impatient. After all, it was a good book that she had been reading.

"The things I say might freak you out, but I want you to know that that's the worst thing you could do, especially if you care for your girlfriend over there." The once happy go lucky monkey Faunus suddenly turned deadly serious. His normal form disappeared as if was never there to begin with. Instantly, Blake's face was colored in confusion, and she wasn't sure what to respond to first.

"What's that-"

"I killed Neptune." Sun admitted, causing the cat faunus' world to be overcome by emotion.

There was, of course, the general confusion made by his words. Then there was the part of her that denied what he had just said. After that, there was the part of her that beloved him. That part itself was split up into a mix of worry and happiness that she did not want to unpack right now. Overall, in a single sentence, Sun has made her mind a mess.

"But more importantly, I'm part of the White Fang." He continued on.

Never mind, it was _that_ sentence that made her mind a complete mess.

"Normally I wouldn't be telling you this, but Adam required that I pass on a message from him."

"Wha- Adam-?"

"There's a storm coming to Beacon, Blake. And if you don't find shelter soon, you're going to be blown away." Sun practically whispered, though Blake could hear his every word.

"Anyway!" He shouted, making Blake jump. His goofy smile returned and it looked as if nothing had ever happened between them. "Thanks for the talk, Blake. It made me feel a lot better. I'll see ya around." And with that happy farewell, The not-so-secret White Fang member walked away, leaving the cat Faunus he spoke to him in shock.

Finally, a few minutes later, Blake could sum up her current feelings into one sentence.

"What?!" She yelled into the library.

"Shhh!"

* * *

"Are we ready?" A voice asked various people across Vale.

"Atlas' army is just about in place. I will be ready when the time comes." Arthur Watts responded.

"The White Fang have been brought back into the fold and are awaiting orders. They will be ready." Hazel Rainart added.

"My insider has just informed me of her success entering into the tournament. She will cause the signal to begin." Cinder Fall stated with confidence in her subordinate.

"And soon, I shall capture the boy!" Tyrian Callows shouted with glee.

"Perfect." The Queen of the Grimm smiled, looking over to the city of Vale just in he distance. "Let the tournament begin."

* * *

 **Oh fuck, Salem's here! Everyone panic!**

 **And yes, I realize that the chapters- especially this chapter- have been shorter than usual recently, but really, it's for a good reason. I promise. The next chapter will probably be a little longer than this, but it's the chapters _after_ that which will be really big. And for those who also read New Game Plus, I know it's been nearly three months, but chapter twelve will be coming any day now.**

 **As always, some people are still annoyed at Yang, and still, I won't comment.**

 **As for a third genre, I'm not actually sure what I would pick, but tragedy would certainly be a good choice.**

 **I agree with the messed up characterizations, but that discussion will be at a later date.**

 **Until next time,**

 **-RMV**


	26. Tournament Troubles Part One

Blake dodged out of the way of the hoverboard as it flew over her. This Reese Chloris chick was really being a pain ever since she mounted her weapon. Not that Blake couldn't handle her, it was just annoying. Ducking and rolling from another drive by, Blake growled in frustration. She'd been unable to land a clean hit on her opponent for a while now.

"And that was Weiss Schnee with an amazing knockout of Bolin Hori! The table have turned three to four, but can Team RWBY keep the lead going?" Dr. Oobleck announced to the crowd, making Blake smirk. If Weiss had gotten her opponent out, then the Cat Faunus knew exactly what came next.

Just as Reese went for yet another fly by, a white glyph formed in front of her, and she slammed into it just as she would a wall. Blake first capitalized on this by grabbing the hoverboard and smashing it in half. A harsh move, sure, but she was being _really_ annoying.

"My board!" Chloris cried in anger picking herself up. "You bitch! I'll make you pay for that!"

"Oh yeah?" Blake taunted as Weiss appeared right at her side. "You and what weapon?"

On the other side of the arena, Yang and Arslan Altan were duking it out. At first, Yang wasn't gaining much ground- her daggers were a pain in the ass- but with every hit the Beacon huntress received, Yang closed the gap between them.

"And yet another combatant of Team ABRN from Haven Academy was lost! Poor Reese Chloris. Can anyone stop the roll Team RWBY is on?!" Professor Port shouted with enthusiasm, making the crowd go wild.

"Do you hear that?" Yang taunted. "That's the sound of the crowd, cheering for your loss." She chuckled at Arslan's scowl.

"You know what-" Before the dark skinned fighter could get out a rebuttal, Yang took advantage of her carelessness. Landing a critical strike in the jaw, Arslan flew through the ring. She didn't get knocked out, but she soon would be.

"And that's the team leader, Arslan Altan, down for the count! It might be far fetched, but can Nadir Shiko pull out a miracle? What a story to tell, that would be." Ruby heard Port announce to the world.

"Are you gonna fight or what?" Nadir questioned Team RWBY's leader, who had been carelessly dodging attacks the entire match. She hadn't even pulled out her weapon!

"Looks like they're all waiting on me." Ruby said, not really answering his question. Nadir couldn't get out a single word more before Ruby appeared in front of him and tapped him in the chest. He collapsed to the ground, his aura in red.

For the crowd, they simple saw the girl teleport towards her opponent, but for those viewers more carefully trained, they witnessed something astonishing. Ruby had sped towards Nadir with her semblance and landed a hit that knocked him to the side as she brought out her new weapon past him. Then, in the same breath, she pushed backwards off her feet, jumping back in front of him, and hitting the hunter with the exact right amount of force that he was once again balanced before he even knew what happened. Sheathing her weapon once more, Ruby came back into real time and tapped her enemy, causing him to collapse.

The populace may have remained unaware, but everyone in a high position knew the truth on that day.

Don't fuck with Ruby Rose… And _especially_ not with whatever weapon she had.

* * *

"Great going, guys." Ruby congratulated her team once they got to the locker room. "We really showed the world what Team RWBY's all about."

"Indeed. And we'll show them once again in the Doubles round." Weiss assured. Ruby smiled at this.

"Well, you two get your rest." The leader gestured to Weiss and Yang. "Personally, I think it's kinda stupid that they're trying to have every round in one day to keep up with the schedule, but I'm sure you can handle it."

"Of course we can." Yang boasted.

"Well, if you're all set, I'm gonna head off. Good luck!" Ruby called to them as she left rather suddenly. None of the team seemed phased though. Had they cared to ask, they would have found out that Ruby was going to hang out with Pyrrha to do some… 'stuff' in the forest, but no one did.

"Weiss, can I talk to you for a bit?" Blake hesitantly asked, pulling the pair into a more secluded spot away from Yang.

"What is it?" Weiss inquired.

"Sun is in the White Fang." Blake informed, voice barely a whisper. "I'm going to follow him today and see if I can find anything out. I know you don't like when I do things on my own, but I overheard him saying that he was going into the city today and this is my only chance. I don't know if he's gonna skip town or not. Please don't-" Blake's ramblings were suddenly cut off when the Schnee Heiress kissed her lips. Just a simple peck, yet the whole world stood still. Stunned into silence, Weiss held Blake's hands and spoke.

"Just promise to come back to me, and don't do anything stupid, alright?" A sad smile played on her features, as if she had a bad feeling about all this.

"Always." Blake responded breathlessly. A few more moments of eye contact later, the Faunus reluctantly broke Weiss' hold on her, and marched off to her goal, more determined than ever. Similarly, Weiss' resolution to end the next match as quick as possible grew immense.

The lines had been drawn, and each of the four huntresses wanted nothing more than to achieve their goals.

By any means necessary.

* * *

Yang and Weiss didn't speak a word to each other as they walked out to their next round. Whatever unsteady truce was made between them was too fragile to withstand any exchange of words. The announcer and crowd could pick up their slack, anyhow.

"From Team RWBY, Weiss Schnee and Yang Xiao-Long enter the arena! And from Team FNKI, Flynt Coal and Neon Katt!" Dr. Oobleck riled the crowd up.

In that very moment, a rainbow came dashing past them, stirring up some wind. The rainbow stopped in front of them to reveal a pigtailed girl riding around in rollerblades. And not soon after, a young man with a trumpet in his hand followed suit.

"Hey! You Weiss Schnee?" The man, presumably Flynt, asked Weiss.

Weiss did not respond.

"What? You think you're better than me?" He growled, though she still refused to speak a word. Angrily, he elbowed his partner. "Neon, just do your thing." Neon blinked in surprise at being called upon.

"Uhh… Where'd ya get those hair extensions?" Neon taunted Yang pathetically. Following her combat partner's stance, Yang, too, did not make a sound. "Umm… Well, your boobs are big."

"Thank you." Yang finally gave up he first piece of interaction from Team RWBY. "Yours aren't." Neon gasped at Yang's wicked smirk.

"Oh! You're dead, bitch."

And like that, the taunters became the taunted. This fight was gonna be fun.

* * *

"Jaune-y boy! Come out, come out, wherever you are!" Tyrian's cackle echoed throughout the abandoned factory as Jaune hid in between two of the generators.

One would think that teleportation is best used in combat as a surprise attack. If the opponent is unaware, the attack will be infinitely more effective. But those what-if scenarios fail to take into account how goddamn useful teleportation was! It's just so practical for literally everything! It was no wonder Neo built it into her style of combat, once you had it, you couldn't _not_ use it.

Of course, Jaune didn't have it anymore. And that was why he was in this situation to begin with. Tyrian jumped him and took a nasty chunk of Jaune's aura out in an instant. Desperate, the former leader of JNPR ran for it, ending up in this factory. Sure, some could call him a coward- Tyrian certainly was- but Jaune preferred the word 'strategic.' He was simply waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike, just as the Faunus had to begin this whole ordeal.

"You're not making this any fun!" Tyrian complained, positioning his back towards Jaune's hiding spot. The perfect opportunity.

In complete silence, Jaune lashed out and stabbed with all his might… Only to miss, as the madman stared at him with a smile, leaning on his extended arm casually. Quite quickly, Jaime realized he'd been played.

"Oh, there you are." He smirked, then spun to bring down his blades upon the time traveler. Jaune caught the weapons with his- Neo's- umbrella, but he was still caught unawares by the stab of a scorpion tail into his side.

Jaune stumbled back, clutching his wound as Tyrian cackled. The Faunus didn't bother to make another attack, knowing that the fight was already over.

"That's too bad," He stated while Jaune waited for the pain of the toxins to come rushing to his brain. "I was expecting more of a fight. Anyway, I need to call this in." Turning away from Jaune, he dialed up someone on his scroll. "My Queen? Yes, the deed is done. Jaune Arc is dead." And like that, he hung up.

"Calling it… A little too soon… Don't ya think?" Tyrian shrugged.

"Maybe. But the sooner I do, the sooner I get to kill your friends, so… Win-win!"

"I'll… Huff… Kill you…" Jaune threatened weakly, trying to conserve his energy for the incoming pain.

"You know what?" Tyrian commented sarcastically. "I think you will!" With a laugh, he walked over to Jaune and kicked him in the stomach. The hunter fell to the ground like a sack of potatoes.

Something about this encounter just didn't feel right, though. Jaune has seen Qrow's reaction to the poison. Hell, he'd experienced it himself in the future. And yet, aside from the pain of being punched in the stomach, he felt nothing. This didn't make any sense. Unless…

"What… Is your semblance?" Jaune continue to act weak. Tyrian raised an eyebrow to this.

"Odd last words, but I suppose there's no hurt in telling you. I, Tyrian Callows, have the unique ability of being immune to all poisons and venoms known to man. My Aura must have reacted with my faunus traits, but that's just speculation."

"Oh. Well that makes this easier."

"Makes what easi- Ah fuck!" With a sudden, swift move, Jaune took up the umbrella he dropped, and impaled it through Tyrian's knee. In his arrogance, he had lowered his aura shields, allowing for the perfect opportunity.

The Faunus instinctively lashed out with his tail, but Jaune just took the hit, grabbed it, and stabbed through that as well.

"Ahh!" The madman screamed in pain once more. As he fell down, Jaune picked himself up, and the rolls were suddenly reversed. However, unlike the servant of Salem, Jaune knew how to finish the job.

"Good bye, Tyrian. This is better than you deserve."

"Nononono- Ack!"

The body went limp.

* * *

"And it appears that Neon has crashed into her teammate! Will Team RWBY capitalize on this or- And they did! With an amazing final blow from Yang, Team RWBY wins!"

Yang cracked her neck and Weiss curtsied to the crowd before heading off to the locker rooms.

"Good job with Neon." Weiss awkwardly complimented.

"Yeah, thanks…" Yang replied.

"…"

"…"

"Well… I'm gonna go find Blake." The heiress said, walking backwards out of the locker room. "Good luck with the next round."

"Yup."

"…"

"…"

"Okay, bye." Weiss suddenly closed the door, finally ending the intensely awkward half-conversation they had.

Yang sighed, sitting on the bench. The scroll in her hands felt just a tiny bit heavier… Heavier, but not heavy enough.

"Cinder? I've made it to third round. The end is near."

* * *

 **I know, I know. Yet another short chapter. Not to mention, the fight scenes weren't all that promising. But don't despair, for the next chapter will be the start of some truly big and exciting stuff. To be honest, this is worse than it could be, simply because all the stuff afterwards will be awesome, and I don't want to wait.**

 **Ruby is super strong for two reasons. One, she's been training with Pyrrha, one of the greatest fighters in RWBY, nearly nonstop since Jaune had to leave. And two, before that, Jaune was training her. This means that he can give her strategies that she wouldn't have come up with until her adult years. It's basically like a LV5 character gaining a LV50 spell. Also… I've been watching a lot of Dragon Ball Z, so I'm kinda in love with the idea of a fighter teleporting around.**

 **Not many reviews to respond to, which makes sense considering the length of last chapter.**

 **Until next time,**

 **-RMV**


	27. Tournament Troubles Part Two

"Why do you think he's around here?" Pyrrha asked, pushing foliage out of her way.

"I know he liked to come here from time to time to think. I doubt he's here, but it's a better place to start than nowhere." Ruby reasoned to the champion.

"And how do you know that he liked to come here to think?"

"I'd… Follow him out, every now and then. I always considered sitting with him, but I never worked up the nerve." The team leader admitted with a slight blush on her face. Pyrrha smiled.

"You're so cute, Ruby." The reaper's face heated up a little more, and she smiled but didn't say anything.

They continued on a bit longer, Ruby leading the pack. Maybe it was the fact that Pyrrha was one person as opposed to three, or maybe it was just that they were good friends, but the red headed girl followed Ruby's instructions to a tee. Whether it was to mind the branch or keep an eye out for Grimm, Pyrrha was in it. Was this what it felt like to lead a team? Because, damn, it felt empowering.

After a few minutes of walking, the pair finally reached their destination. The Emerald Forest cliffside.

"No wonder he came here to think. The view is stunning. You can get lost in this." Pyrrha commented. "How did I not notice it the first time?"

"The first time, you were nervous." Ruby diagnosed. "It was the same for me as well. I'm pretty sure it takes two hard glances before you can really appreciate the beauty of the view."

The pair had come to search for clues, but that didn't mean they couldn't admire the vast view of the forest as well. As the sun moved past noon and started to fall farther down in the sky, evening was fast approaching, and the trees below reflected this in their shine.

"Hm. You can see the beowolves moving down there." Pyrrha noticed black spots darting through the trees from miles away. Ruby furrowed her eyebrows, looking out with Pyrrha.

"That doesn't make any sense. A Grimm would have to be at least the size of an elephant to actually be seen from here."

"Well, there they are." The champ pointed. "And there. And there. And… Oh dear…"

Before either could react any further, an ear splitting siren went off in the distance, emanating from Beacon itself. The 'incoming grimm attack' alarm. They'd heard it before, but never with this matter of urgency behind it.

"But that means…" Ruby turned back to the tree line in the distance, which now looked a whole lot darker than before. Their eyes widened, and wordlessly, the pair looked at each other.

"We need to go, quickly." Pyrrha stated the obvious. In response, Ruby picked her up bridal style- to absolutely no complaints- and used her immense speed to get them both back to Beacon in no time.

The sight there didn't help assuage their fears.

* * *

Sun moved obnoxiously slow through the the festival grounds and to the city, cheerfully saying hello to everyone who passed him. At the very least, this meant he didn't notice her when they flew on the same Bullhead to the city, but it was still agonizing to watch.

Blake was a patient woman, but this suspense was killing her. Moreover, whenever it seemed that Sun had wandered into an alley to meet with his White Fang buddies, he'd simply pop out happy as ever on the next street- Nothing illegal transpiring at all. And at the very least, she needed something.

If Sun led her to a White Fang stronghold, that would be ideal. But if that didn't happen, and he was actually leaving the city, she'd at least want him to do something easily provable and illegal so he couldn't book it. Atlas had already ruled on the death of Neptune, and it wouldn't be in the ninja's best interest to go against that just yet. But… If Sun were to steal a candy or something stupid like that, she could catch him and he'd be taken away.

Actually, if worse came to worst, she could always just falsely accused him of stealing. Then it'd be her word against his, and with his obvious Faunus traits… It was a broken and corrupt system, yes, but that didn't mean she couldn't use it to her advantage while it was still there.

Weirdly enough, however, Sun wasn't heading in the direction of the docks or airport. Instead, he was heading towards the slums. If he was fleeing the city, he was doing a bad job of it, but if he was leading her to a White Fang hideout, well… Nerves started to help kill her along with the suspense.

Her disappointment was immense, though, when he arrived at a Atlesian checkpoint and started chatting with the police there. Nothing illegal, nothing hostile, and no attempts at getting to the other side. Ugh. Was this all for naught?

Unfortunately, no.

First, she heard the siren in the distance, emanating from Beacon. Then, a second later, the checkpoint exploded. Smoke filled the air, and though she was at a distance, the force behind the blast shook her world. Vaguely, from afar, she noticed other checkpoints being blown up, but she had to focus on the here and now.

Glancing down from her rooftop perch, the cat Faunus watched as Sun casually pushed the officer he was previously talking to off of him. On the ground, she could see that his back was littered with shards of shrapnel, as Sun used him like a human shield. With that, Sun stood there patiently, waiting.

Blake then heard the cries of mercy from the second officer stationed at the checkpoint before they were suddenly and sickeningly cut off. Out of the darkness, sword already drawn and bloodied, walked the person straight from Blake's nightmares.

Adam Taurus.

Flanking him was an abnormally large and buff man, along with some White Fang generals and a whole shit ton of grunts. Like the sun lighting the night sky- though the actually sun was quickly fading- the White Fang poured from the black smoke.

Sun and Adam greeted each other, yet their conversation was too hushed to hear over the distant screams. When they finished, Adam patted Sun on the back and- Blake's blood ran cold.

He was staring right at her.

"Come on out, Blake. It's been a while since we've had a chat." The monster's voice resonated through the air, loud and commanding. She didn't have a choice.

So, facing her fears, she jumped down- Never noticing the crow right behind her.

* * *

After the match, Weiss really didn't have much to do. She was tempted to go after Blake, but knowing the faunus, she'd be well into the city already. There was no real way to catch up, not unless she called and blew Blake's cover. And Weiss wouldn't do that.

So, the heiress wandered the festival grounds instead, constantly checking her phone, should Blake call. She ate a sub-par meal, read a crappy magazine, and accomplished a cumulative sum of nothing. Weiss hated being this inactive.

That was when she got the idea to check on Atlas' security. As a Schnee- and as sister to Winter- she'd become quite intimate with how Atlas security was meant to be set up. Not to mention, they _let_ her go everywhere, and there was really nothing better to do.

At every major exit and entrance, either a pair of guards or robots stood tall. Robots also patrolled every pathway, and a large portion of the military was stationed at a central hub where bullheads came to and from the main ship. This hangar was stationed right on the cliffs, giving a great view to the city it protected.

Weiss was just leaving the area when a piercing siren went off. For a moment, everyone in the hanger went quiet, listening. Then, just as all personnel started to jog to their stations, the entire docking bay exploded.

The heiress was sent flying back into a nearby wall of some random building, but other weren't so lucky. Most soldiers were instantly vaporized by the blast, yet others were unfortunate enough to be launched off the side, their screams continuing to echo even after they hit the ground.

The entire place was in chaos, but Weiss was too stunned to notice. A few minutes later, she was actually able to get up. What was even happening?

It was at this moment, that the robots started glowing red.

* * *

"What was the signal again?" Arthur Watts asked himself after watching the conclusion to the final fight of the tournament in boredom. A piercing siren interrupted his thoughts for the briefest moment, and he nodded in recognition. "Oh yes, that was it."

Tapping a button on the computer in front of him that nobody thought they needed to check, the main hangar exploded.

"I need every team down here, now!" Ironwood shouted through the main monitor to the newly established captain currently heading the ship.

"Y- Yes Sir." He stuttered. What was the boy's name again? Carlos? Charles? Eh, it didn't matter. Turning off the screen, the captain grabbed the controls to the PA system. "All units aboard, this is a code five! I repeat, this is a code five! Everyone report to your stations immediately for take off!" Captain Charles delivered his commands, looking rather pleased with himself afterwards.

"Shouldn't you be going too?" Watts reminded, making the captain flush.

"Oh, right." He said. And with that, the captain ran out of the room, leaving a skeleton crew behind as he closed the doors to the main deck. Watts sighed, it was just so easy sometimes.

"Excuse me there, girl." He stated, pushing the girl next to him away from her computer. "This is rather important, you see." She watched in silence as he bypassed the security details in place until he final got to a black screen with a blinking white text box.

"Wait, isn't that emergency controls? I thought you had to be level five to gain access to that." The girl commented. Arthur shook his head.

"Not if you hack your way in, obviously." Finally, the girl realized something was up.

"Wait a min-" Her protests were cut off when Arthur shot her in the head. The noise was noticed, but none of the other crew members could react in time before they too were extinguished.

"Too easy." He complained, typing in a few commands. Pressing enter, a click and hiss indicated that the main deck as fully sealed off, and a look outside the door windows showed the entire ship being flooded with poison gas.

It was a wonder, the paranoia of Ironwood. He had all these last minute emergency features just in case anyone tried to attack the ship, yet he never once considered an attack from the crew itself. Well, he'd learn his lesson soon enough. Though he wouldn't die from the gas, being down on the surface, something else would surely end him.

"Let's see… Hangar exploded, gas flooded the ship… What else is there?" Watts pondered. "Oh yes! The robots!"

Plugging in yet another line of commands and pressing enter, Arthur Watts leaned back in his chair, content with a job well done.

* * *

The final round was a free for all style brawl. Normally, the match would have been two single matches followed by a final bout, but as the tournament was pressed for time, they decided to improvise a bit.

Two of the three opponents Yang faced were frankly laughable. If it hadn't been for the wonky scheduling and general lack of skilled teams, these jokers would have never made it to finals. But once those two were out of the way, the final match could truly begin.

At first, Yang couldn't even get close to her opponent. Every time she tried to, a flying sword threatened that hair of hers. Still, she dodged like a pro, giving the crowd a real show. The dodging wouldn't last forever, and eventually, her enemy got a nick of her hair.

Yang watched as the piece floated to the ground in front of her face. _Now_ it was on.

Penny Polendina was dead.

With massive strength only further enhanced by her anger, Yang caught the next sword rushing at her between her palms- the crowd roared in the background- and a struggle commenced. The sword pushed towards Yang with seemingly unending force, but the blonde huntress wasn't one to give up. Drawing on her latent power, Yang shifted from pushing to pulling and quite suddenly snapped the small cord attaching the sword to Penny's backpack. The blade stopped glowing and Yang threw it to the side.

"That metal alloy was nigh unbreakable." Penny stated her information in shock. Yang gave a wicked smile.

"In my experience, nothing is unbreakable." After their short exchange of words, the two got back to business.

Quickly closing the gap, Yang flipped, dodged, and deflected out of the way any attacks Penny threw at her. Eventually. Penny was forced to accept the inevitable, and coalesce her many blades into a thick set of swords to use for close range. Deciding to charge as well, Penny's weapons met Yang's fists in an explosion of force.

It continued on like one of Yang's old training rounds with her dad. She would send a punch or a kick his way unpredictably, and he would move the pads on his hands to block. Unlike then, however, the pads were actually a collection of swords, and each connection created a mini explosion.

Time seemed to progress in slow motion for the two. The force of each blow actually slowed the next in a chain of immense power, somewhat akin to what it would look like if giants were to brawl. Though the ebb and flow of the battle seemed to favor Yang, both fighters found themselves on the back foot now and again.

Unfortunately, the perfect balance of power couldn't last forever, and of course, Yang gained the upper hand. With a devastating right hook, Yang broke through the deadlock and finally landed a punch. Penny fell in an instant. Clearly, this girl wasn't used to fighting close, as the blonde huntress jumped on Penny and got to pummeling her without much resistance.

Each punch was a devastating victory on Yang's part, revealing more and more metal behind that fake skin with every passing second. This didn't phase Yang, though. She knew who Penny was, and she knew what she had to do.

Penny, on the other hand, was having a brand new experience during this ordeal. The experience was fear. And the robot girl really didn't like it. The punches rained down like lightning bolts from the heavens, ceaseless in their might. Penny didn't want this to happen. She was failing Ironwood, she was failing Winter, she was failing her creator… Penny was going to die.

"Nonononononono!" The robot screamed, finally gaining enough conscious thought to move her weapons. The ones she had left started to circle around her chest, and a green ball of energy started to form in between Yang and her.

"Shit!" It was only when Yang reared back for a punch did she notice the ball of energy, and noticing it, she leaned back even more, trying to avoid it completely.

"No!" Penny screamed in anguish, firing her laser. As usual, what once was a small ball of energy tripled in size and blasted into the sky, catching Yang's arm along the way.

Green colored Yang's vision as she couldn't even feel the arm within the laser. The unyielding blast finally yielded, and the whole world could now get a good view of Yang's arm. Black colored Yang's vision, as that was all she could see. Whether it was ash or burnt skin, the huntress has no idea, but one of her gauntlets was broken beyond repair, any semblance of fabric on that arm had been vaporized, and the only thing she could feel was pain.

Now _red_ colored her vision, as pain consumed her whole world. Unluckily for Penny, in terms of Yang, pain was power, and Yang was gonna use the hell out of this power.

"You bitch!" Yang screamed, her blackened arm now dangling to the side. With the remaining arm, she grabbed all the wires connecting Penny to her swords and pulled. Easier than ever, the cords snapped and powered down. Penny was weaponless, and Yang was angry.

Yang's foot smashed down on Penny's stomach, making a dent as she continued to stomp. Penny herself had no words, only fear and pain. Finally, when that was over, Yang stomped down on the robot's neck, grabbed her by the hair, and pulled. Penny struggled, but it was no use. Flesh and metal pried apart, and the unsightly was made seen.

Yang roared in victory, holding Penny's lifeless head in her hand. And before the crowd could react, the Grimm Alert Siren went off.

* * *

Causally, Salem rode a massive goliath towards the ever approaching Beacon. Any moment now, Cinder would give her then signal, and the attack would begin.

Many Grimm would die, but she had already come to terms with that fact. Hopefully, the chaos caused by her underlings in the city would minimize the casualties, but humans had a nasty way of taking out massive amounts of Grimm before anything else.

A massive amount of negativity called her attention to the city followed by a distant siren. Right after, there were the sounds of a few explosions, and the fear of the city became palpable in the air. Her Grimm rustled next to her, joining to have a taste.

"We're ready for your arrival." Cinder told her over the scroll.

"Perfect." Hanging up, the queen of the Grimm looked over to her babies. "Well, what are you waiting for? Let's begin."

The black mass in the forests around the city charged.

* * *

The emergency siren was meant to be played for thirty seconds. Just long enough to wake any hunters from their sleep to quickly combat an approaching threat. The funny thing about it was, if you were to play it longer than that- say, on an indefinite loop- people started to panic. And in this situation, panic was all she wanted.

Today, Cinder Fall would get what she wanted.

Getting up from her spot and stashing her scroll after doing everything she needed with it, Cinder cracked her neck. There was Ozpin, and then it was over.

No more heroes.

* * *

Jaune stood upon the highest rooftop he could, witnessing the horrid scene around him as night fell. His memories tried to invade his mind with flashbacks, but he resisted. He needed to be in the here and now.

Those idiots- the followers of Salem- They thought they already won. Well… He'd show them all exactly what they won, from him.

The sound of broken glass behind him shattered his train of thought, and he pulled out the umbrella in his care.

"What are you waiting for?" He taunted, not turning around. "Let's end this."

* * *

 **And the finale begins. I've been looking forward to these next three chapters, and I hope they don't disappoint.**

 **As for reviews, all I have to say is that this isn't game of thrones.**

 **Until next time,**

 **-RMV**


	28. The Final Bow Part One

As the alarm blared much longer than it should've, Yang's rush from victory faded. Still, she couldn't feel her left arm, and her right one wasn't doing much better.

The people in the crowd shuffled nervously, a few giving her accusing glares, but most avoiding eye contact as they tried to evacuate from the arena. Not that they'd be much safer outside the arena, but Yang supposed that _they_ didn't know that.

For a while, the 'Y' of Team RWBY just stood there, unsure what to do. Cinder hadn't given her anything else to accomplish. Now the blonde just felt… Used.

Absolute chaos could be heard in the distance, screams and bullet fire echoing from beyond. When she came to Beacon, she came for the prospect of helping people. But right then, she simply felt numb. When did she lose that desire, the desire to help? To save? She never wanted to kill people. Right?

Ugh… Things weren't simple anymore.

"Penny…" A familiar voice lamented from slightly behind her. Realizing she was still holding the head, Yang released her grip of the robot, letting it clang to the ground. The huntress did not turn around, but instead saw the speaker when she walked past to the corpse of her foe. The woman had a striking resemblance to Weiss, yet was much taller and mature- As if Cinder and Weiss combined. Yang didn't know why that thought came to her mind, but it just did. "I failed you…" The stranger mumbled under her breath.

"…Sorry." Yang apologized, feeling some amount of sympathy at that moment. But why now? Her emotions were confused.

"Tensions were too high in your battle." The white haired stranger reasoned, turning back to Yang. "It was not your intention." It was. "Come now, things are getting unsafe. Let's get you to a healer." Throwing Yang's good arm over her shoulders, the stranger allowed the blonde to start limping over to the side lines.

"…Who are you?" The huntress in training asked blankly while walking.

"I am Specialist Winter Schnee, second in command to General Ironwood and sister of your teammate, Weiss Schnee." Second in command… Cinder didn't like General Ironwood. She'd probably want Yang to kill Winter Schnee. But that wasn't possible, not in Yang's current condition and maybe not even when fully healed. Cinder wanted it, though, and Yang had nothing more than that.

She was already broken, why not break some more?

Gaining a wicked smile, Yang grip on Winter tightened around the shoulders, and she suddenly stopped walking to pivot on her right leg. Before Winter could ask what was wrong, the brawler smashed her left knee into the Specialist's gut, repeating the action until Winter was able to push her away.

Deftly, as a true Specialist would, Winter sprung backwards to create distance between her and the opponent while drawing her weapon.

"So you fight for the enemy." It wasn't a question.

"No, I fight for my allies." Yang corrected sardonically, an all too wide smile plastered on her face. Winter was not amused.

"So be it." With that, they charged.

Winter started the battle by littering the ground with glyphs, but Yang easily and swiftly dodged around them all. Ever since her feud with Weiss began, dodging glyphs became part of Yang's daily training routine. Like an elegant skater, Yang bobbed and weaved and made her way over to Winter's location before the specialist truly realized what was going on, landing a punch that sent the white haired fighter flying back.

Winter knew she had the superior skills and experience, but Yang's semblance absolutely outclassed her when it came to power. No, the former heiress couldn't take many more hits like that. She needed to end this in one blow. Summoning a cavalcade of glyphs around the blonde brawler, Winter encased her opponent before starting to focus for another element of her semblance.

Yang was not impressed, staring at her summoned prison with the same damned smile she was giving everything. For a few brief moments, she thought on her life and how it had gotten to this place. Cinder… She had told Yang that the Queen of the Grimm wanted peace with humans after Ozpin was dead, but was that really true? If the Queen of the Grimm wanted peace, surely there were easier ways to achieve that than launching an attack on Beacon.

"Fuck it." She said to herself. She'd already made her choice, informed or not. _She'd_ gotten jealous at her sister's ability to make true friends, _she'd_ allowed herself to be seduced by Cinder Fall, and _she'd_ attacked Winter when the Schnee was only trying to help. There was no going back now.

Reeling back, Yang delivered a single punch to the walls of her woman-made prison, destroying it entirely. Keeping up the momentum, the huntress sprinted towards Winter, who had been standing still the entire time. Above the specialist was a massive glyph, and coming out of it, some sort of arm. Yang wasn't phased for a second, continuing on her path of destruction without stop.

At the very last second, Winter jumped away from the incoming punch, allowing the giant glyph to dissipate, and the arm along with it. Yang's own momentum led her out of the arena and into the wall, exploding it and much of the stands beyond. Luckily, that area had already been evacuated, save for a few Atlas soldiers that went flying.

Winter then fired a stream of dust rounds at her opponent. Each one connected with Yang's blackened arm, resulting in absolutely no damage to be taken at all. Clearly, Yang wouldn't allow Winter enough time to prepare a single finishing blow, which meant the Specialist had to instead whittle Yang down slowly, being careful not to take a single hit in the process. A tough endeavor, but she wasn't Ironwood's right hand woman for nothing.

Turning to face the crazed enemy from the center of the ring, Winter pointed her rapier and gestured with her empty hand for Yang to 'come and get it.' The taunt worked, and the huntress came flying back into the middle of the arena.

What then started was an exquisite dance of power. Yang led, fruitlessly attacking and hitting air every time, while Winter merely reacted, dodging constantly and always looking for an opening. For a short time, they were equals in this dance, but slowly and surely, Winter pulled ahead. For all the power Yang had, it was nothing if she could never hit her opponent. Not to mention, the previous fights injuries and her long, exhausting, day were beginning to catch up.

Finally, inevitably, Winter's rapier caught Yang's heel, and the blonde fell backwards, looking up at the sky. The specialist's weapon was instantly at her throat, even as the Schnee panted heavily.

"Any final words, beast." Winter spit. Yang cackled.

"Yeah, look above you."

"Do you think I'm stupid enough to fall for that?" She asked, but Yang only cackled some more. It was at that very moment when Winter's senses finally adjusted to much more than her own battle with this Beacon student and on to the greater world around her. An undeniable pressure could be felt above her, and the specialist's hands started shaking as she looked up.

There it was, the pride and joy of Atlas, the Grand Airship, crashing straight down onto her location. It's bow was covered in glyphs not made by her, but that wasn't quite registered along with the dread.

Yang's laughter stung the air as everything blurred to white.

* * *

"Your reign of terror ends here, Adam." Blake promised, barely able to overcome a stutter. The Bull Faunus simply laughed.

"That's cute, Blake. You're capable of a lot of things- Betrayal, for one- But single handedly taking on an army is not one of them." Adam retorted, gesturing to the squad of White Fang grunts behind him. "In fact, you really have no chance at all. So why don't you just join me, and we can put this silly little argument behind us."

"I'd _never_ join you." Blake spat back in an instant, without hesitation. "Especially not after what you've become. Is killing the innocent a sport for you now?"

"They're not _innocent_ if they're _human_." Adam insisted, pure malice dripping from his tone. "I am the one doing right by my kind, delivering justice to all faunus! Meanwhile you sit in your school, pretending not to be who you really are! Why don't you take off that bow, Blake, or are you ashamed of what society might think of you?"

"Taurus, we don't have time for this." The large man to his side stated.

"What happened to not working with humans, huh?" Blake accused, gesturing to said man. "He looks pretty human to me."

"He is merely a temporary set back." Adam assured the cat Faunus before turning to the man. "This is a personal issue, Hazel. If you wish to lead in the destruction of Vale, by all means, go ahead. But I'm not leaving this street until she is dealt with." The man, Hazel, rolled his eyes.

"Children…" He muttered. "Fine. Form up!" Hazel called behind him. The legions of White Fang members got into place, and started marching around the scene. Blake tensed, knowing that her talk with her old partner wouldn't last much longer.

"What must I say to have you join me, Blake? Didn't you use to tell me you loved me?" Adam pleaded without much heart. The huntress squeezed her eyes shut for a brief moment, trying to block out the old memories.

"I was young and naive back then, I didn't know what love was." Blake replied.

"And now you do?" The man in black and red mocked. She looked over to Beacon where a single Bullhead flew towards Atlas' main airship in the distance. Weiss was somewhere over there. Weiss…

"I do. And I'm prepared to fight for that love even if it kills me." She vowed.

"So it shall…" Adam placed his hand on his sword, a sick smile drawing across his face."

"I don't think you're going anywhere, pal." A familiar, grizzled voice sounded just behind Blake, in front of Hazel. All eyes turned to see Qrow seemingly appear out of nowhere, sword in hand. "This party is over." Hazel simply sighed.

"Sun, lead the troops." Adam commanded of his subordinate on the sidelines. "I imagine we'll both be a little busy." He commented, referencing himself and Hazel.

"You got it boss. See you around, Blake…" Sun Wukong waved goodbye to the Belladonna, rounding up the troops once more and finally walking them out of his street.

The battlefield stood still as each pair of enemies stared each other down. Predictably, though, Adam was the first to break, making his way towards Blake with unparalleled speed.

Blake dodged with her semblance, leaving a stone replica behind, though Adam tore through it like a hot knife through butter. Behind them, Qrow surged at Hazel with his sword, but Hazel didn't seem to be too bothered.

Taking the initiative, Blake spun back to clash blades with Adam. His charged attacks were unparalleled in power, perhaps even outclassing Yang, but so long as he couldn't put his sword back in his sheath or didn't have time to concentrate, they wouldn't be feasible to use. Of course, Adam was a superior sword fighter in his own right, but Blake needed every advantage she could get.

For a few moments, the fighting went stale as the former partners simply exchanged blows back and forth, neither having much of an advantage over the other. She always imagined that she'd one day be face to face with Adam again, and this is exactly what she thought that moment would look like- With less city destruction, though. The stalemate ended, however, when the rag doll body of Qrow flew from his fight and into their. Blake jumped away as the uncle of her team leader smashed into Adam's back.

Turning to Hazel, Blake needed a break from her staring contest with Adam anyhow.

This Hazel guy was difficult to figure out at first, as he didn't much react to attack. Blake soon got the hang of things when she realized that he was just another tank, a human mech. And taking a page out of her leader's book, the car Faunus knew exactly how to deal with mechs. Go for the joints.

Whether by actual slowness or mere lack of effort, the mountain of a man could not seem to catch Blake as she dodged all he threw at her, taking potshots at his neck, knees, and shoulders in the process.

Glancing over at her fighting partner showed that Qrow wasn't doing too bad either. His experience dwarfed that of Adam's, though the man's lack of intimacy with the Bull's attacks leveled the playing field somewhat. Despite his new enemy, Qrow didn't seem bothered.

"An angsty, emotional, twenty year old. Not who I was expecting to be leading the White Fang… But then again, it's not the White Fang _proper_." Qrow heckled as Adam turned up the pressure.

"You don't know who you're dealing with, old man! That will be your downfall." The leader of the White Fang promised.

"And I'm the king of Vale! See, kid? We can all say silly things. But it doesn't mean it's true." The older hunter continued to taunt. "In fact, I don't even need to try." To prove his point, Qrow didn't even try to dodge when Adam ran at him- Only for the Bull to helplessly fall on some scattered debris. Qrow didn't even push the advantage, just laughing while Adam picked himself up and sheathed his blade.

"Do you want to see real power, old man?" Adam asked, menacingly calm.

"Go ahead." The hunter crosses his arms.

"No-!" Blake tried to yell a warning but was instantly stopped when Hazel grabbed onto her. She smashed weapon repeatedly into the large man's wrist as the horror within her grew.

An intense pressure of power could be felt from Adam as his hair and weapon began glowing red while everything else turned to shadow. All the while, Qrow stood strong, not impressed.

Finally, the car Faunus pried free of Hazel's grip and flung herself towards Adam's position, but it was too late. Her former partner dashed straight, and all became a question of who was quicker on the draw.

 _ **CLANG!**_

Qrow's sword- now turned scythe- fell before Blake. The speed at which the hunter drew the weapon caused it to fly all the way to her when he let it go… Letting it go, of course, because a blade was now buried in his chest.

"Not so cocky now, are we?" Adam taunted while Qrow gargled blood, their roles reversed.

Blake… Didn't know much about Qrow, but she did know two things. One, he was the dear uncle of Ruby Rose, whom she greatly respected. And two, he was fighting with her, _here_ and _now_. If that didn't count for something, Blake didn't know what did.

Picking up the somewhat unfamiliar weapon, the 'B' in Team RWBY threw her primary weapon to latch onto a nearby building, making sure the ribbon was nice and taught. Readying herself, she stated direct at her target, the feature presentation in all her nightmares for the last year and a half. No more. No longer.

With every last bit of confidence she had left in her, Blake launched forward.

"Adam, look out!" Hazel gave a warning call. Just in time, yet all too late. His sword still lodged in Qrow's dying body, all Adam could do to react was raise his hand up to protect himself.

Like a hot knife through butter. Her aim was off, but the fact that it hit was all that mattered.

Turning around, Blake was treated to the gory sight of Adam, covered in blood and with a stump for an arm. Coincidentally, he ended up falling to the ground directly on top of Qrow.

Her feelings of elation were soon crushed, however, with the crushing of her body. Blake's weapons fell out of her hands as she was snatched into a reverse bear hug by the one and only fighter remaining. Hazel.

"Aaaaaaaahhhhh!" Blake cried out as the monster began squeezing, threatening to break every bone in her body.

"We still needed him!" Hazel growled in her ear, only getting tighter.

Through the pain, she spotted Atlas' airship, looking to crash down somewhere near Vale.

"Weiss…" She muttered as everything turned white.

* * *

This is not how Weiss wanted to spend her day. The heiress fended off the initial swarm of bloodthirsty robots with relative ease, but they only seemed to keep coming.

"How did this even happen?" She wondered aloud. "They should all be directly controlled from the… Grand Airship…" Looking above her in a moment of respite, Weiss studied the airship Winter talked so highly about. Only a few Bullheads had departed from it since the time of the explosion- Odd considering Atlas' military gusto. On closer inspection, however, Weiss noticed a faint green gas, seeping out of sides of the ship, what she could only imagine to be the emergency protocol her sister had talked about.

"I need to get up there." Weiss resolved, seeing as the rest of the army was a little preoccupied at the moment. Unfortunately, the airship was too high up to reach by glyph, but the Schnee was at a hangar after all.

Sweeping away another wave of robots, the heiress scoured the remains of hangar for any intact bullheads. The damage done to the area was certainly severe, but the chances of at least _one_ mode of transportation being available remained high.

A few more minutes of searching finally confirmed her hypothesis. One intact Bullhead, ready to head out. Weiss winced when she saw the previous pilot's body, shot full of holes, but she tried not to think about it too much as she started the ignition.

Did Weiss know how to fly a Bullhead? Well… Not officially, no. But that didn't exactly stop Winter from teaching her the basics to make sure Weiss never got stranded anywhere. The heiress flicked the switches and levers she was taught to, and soon enough, the Bullhead was off the ground. Shaky, but flying nonetheless.

The one place Atlas' security measures didn't effect was the cockpit, so Weiss attempted to maneuver the vehicle just above that spot on the airship. Surprisingly, the flight went off without a hitch- It was only when she looked out the window that Weiss noticed a problem. A swarm of Nevermore, approaching the Airship fast.

With a renewed sense of vigor, Weiss jumped out of the pilots seat and ran out onto the super reinforced glass of the Airship's cockpit. This was just in time as the first of the Grimm slammed into her Bullhead, sending it careening off the airship.

The heiress ducked as the Nevermore attacked, trying to make herself as small a target as possible, but the Grimm seemed to notice her worry, diving at her even more. She needed to get inside, and she needed to do so _fast_. Weiss smashed the glass a few times, but to no avail- She simply didn't have the force for it. What was she going to do now?

It was her team leader, Ruby, who drilled the equation of force into her head. The reason Ruby 'hit hard' was because force was mass times acceleration. The faster Ruby hit, the more forceful her hit was- how much mass she had behind the attack only helped. So, Weiss did just that… Kinda.

As yet another Nevermore dived in for the kill, Weiss summoned an entire column of speed glyphs. The Grimm, now unable to control its trajectory, smashed into the glass next to Weiss with such a force that she would've went off the edge if not for her glyphs. Not missing a beat, though, Weiss summoned her own speed glyph and dove in after the bird.

Once inside, Weiss quickly executed the dazed Grimm and made some more room in the rather large cockpit. No Nevermore followed her through the hole after that, but that thought never crossed the heiress' mind.

"And you are?" A man with a heavy mustache asked, an eyebrow raised. He was the only one around- At least, the only one she noticed.

"Weiss Schnee… What happened here?" Weiss answered cautiously, starting to notice all of the bodies.

"Isn't it obvious? I should think it so for a _Schnee_ of all people."

"You killed them?" The man laughed.

"Took you long enough! Yes, indeed I did. But not _just_ them. I also killed everyone else on board with the emergency gas. Speaking of which, I should probably turn that off now." With that, he turned away from the huntress, typing on his computer. Weiss heard a vague hissing noise from beyond the cockpit, but that wasn't her focus at the moment.

"Who are you?"

"Arthur Watts, my dear girl. Your _executioner_." Weiss brandished her rapier and slowly began to walk towards Watts.

"That name… It sounds familiar."

"It should! I dedicated my whole life to your daddy's dust empire- Then he left me behind like everyone else… It matters not, though. I've found a far greater purpose now." As he spoke, he stood up from his seat and pressed a button on his coat. Suddenly, the fabric shifted to metal as the mad scientist was covered head to toe in body armour.

"I am _not_ my father." The heiress insisted, already summoning glyphs.

"It will still be cathartic- I'm _sure_ of it." Just then, Watts charged. Weiss summoned a glyph to block, but Arthur drove right through it, bringing out a hand held device that turned into a spear of energy all the while.

The huntress instinctively dodged out of the way and Arthur's spear collided with a computer, causing sparks to fly. Weiss retaliated with her rapier and shot a few dust charges, but they didn't do as much as she hoped.

As he redoubled his attack, flailing wildly at her, Weiss quickly came to realize that Arthur Watts was not the best fighter. In fact, the only thing he had going for him was his superior technology. _Very_ superior, Weiss noted as she just barely deflected a grenade that decimated half of the computers in the room.

None of her attacks were effective against his armour and he kept breaking through her glyphs, so she really had no effective way of putting him down. Moreover, when Watts caught on to this, he began to gloat.

"What's wrong, Schnee? Can't handle my inventions? Maybe your father shouldn't have abandoned me after all!" He jeered.

"Look, it seems like you have some issues with my dad- And I get it. _Believe_ me, I get it- but this really has nothing to do with me. So why don't you take off that armour, put down that spear, and I can tie you up and bring you to the authorities." The Schnee quipped. She didn't normally quip, but at this point, she was looking for anything to make him slip up. That… And she may have been channeling her inner Ruby a little- Well, her _old_ inner Ruby. The newer Ruby didn't quip at all, thankfully.

"Oh you wish I would give this armour up to you, don't you? Why wouldn't you? It's the strongest in the world! Nothing can pierce it! And my magnificent energy spear has the ability to cut through any substance with ease!" Watts responded, seemingly ignoring everything that she said. Weiss raised an eyebrow.

"So can the spear cut through the armour?" At this, Arthur actually paused to contemplate this concept.

"I am not sure, actually." Not missing a beat, Weiss quipped again.

"Well, let's find out." Taking advantage of Watt's idleness, the huntress attacked him, not doing any damage, but instead ripping the spear out of his hands and kicking him to the ground. Giving the spear a test twirl, Weiss found it suiting.

"B-" Whatever the mad scientist was about to say was cut off when Weiss ruthlessly jabbed his own creation through his shoulder. The spear went straight through and pulled out again just as easily. No blood gushed out as the wound cauterized instantly.

"Easy… I guess that answers that." Weiss commented before getting serious and leveling her new acquisition to Arthur's neck. "Shut down the robots, or you're dead." She ordered.

"Y- You don't want to kill me," Arthur tried to reason, clutching his shoulder. "I- It would be a memory that'd stay with you forever and-" The fed up heiress pressed the spear closer.

"Dead." She promised.

"Right. Of course." He nodded, sobering up. Together, they found a rare, unbroken computer, and Watts got to work.

For a good minute, Arthur typed around all the firewalls and passwords Atlas put up against him, finally getting back to that recognizable black screen.

"The funny thing about being threatened…" Watts noted, writing a few key lines of code to submit. "Is that it means nothing if you'd die anyway." The enter key was hit and suddenly the entire ship jolted.

"What did you do?!" Weiss demanded.

"Oh, me?" The scientist asked with a condescending smile. "Salem would've killed me for failing her anyway, so I just shut off the engines. We should be hitting the ground at terminal velocity any minute now."

"Argh!" The 'W' of Team RWBY cried in frustration, making good on her promise to the man. As Arthur Watts' body slumped, the Grand Airship started to pitch, and Weiss knew it was going down.

A moment of despair passed through her when she thought about her situation, having utterly failed to do what she wanted to accomplish up here. However, a single word broke her out of this quitter talk.

"Blake…" She made Blake promise to come back. Who would she be if she didn't fill her own side? Weiss had failed to shut down the robots, but she wouldn't allow this mistake as well.

Taking a deep breath, Weiss stretched out her hands. Reaching deep within herself, the heiress imagined glyphs to appear on the bottom of the ship. Instantly, though, she felt her connection with them break as the force of the falling ship overpowered her creations.

Still, she continued to try, pulling on every last strand of Aura she had. The ship starting pitching downwards, the bow facing the ground, yet Weiss continued onwards, merely summoning her own glyph to stand on.

The ground was approaching ever closer, and Weiss would not give up- Even as all her creations were instantly destroyed.

"I. Will. Not. Fail!" The heiress yelled, using the last of her aura to summon all the glyphs she could on the bow of the ship, the world fading out to white with her strain.

* * *

"Come on, Nora. It's time to go." Ren said, staring at his long time friend as she peered out over the smoking Vale horizon.

"Shouldn't we help them? That's why we wanted to be hunters, after all." Nora reasoned not looking back until Ren grasped her hand.

"Back there is a suicide mission, and not one we're invested in. Maybe one day we'll find a home and fight to the end for _that_. But not here. Not now." He pulled his partner into an embrace which encountered no resistance.

"Do you think we'll ever find a home, Renny?" The usually bombastic girl asked somberly, leaning into Ren's shoulder as he walked them away from Vale.

"We will, Nora. One day." And with that, everything went white as they walked off into the forest together, never looking back.

* * *

 **I don't actually have much to say. The final chapter is coming up soon, and I can't wait for you all to enjoy it.**

 **In other news, I was thinking about making a short spin off story where Team RWBY of this universe talks to the Team RWBY of the actual show. I don't know what it would really be about, but I just wanted to throw that out there to see what you guys thought.**

 **Until next time,**

 **-RMV**


	29. The Final Bow Part Two

Life was good for Sun Wukong as he led the White Fang marching down the streets. Atlas soldiers were being picked off left and right, letting out delightful screams to his ear. Of course, he wasn't a _complete_ psychopath- The deaths of all the innocent humans were regrettable, but they were a necessary sacrifice for the cause. Not to mention, it was highly doubtful they were all innocent anyway. Realistically, the White Fang was getting rid of more bad than good.

Their brutal advance, however, came to a sudden stop when they ran into a very particular group of soldiers rallied together by the main man himself.

Ironwood.

"General Ironwood!" Sun greeted, ordering the grunts to hold steady for a moment. "Do you remember me? Or am I just another one of the Faunus faces you torture on a daily basis?"

"…I don't know what I did to you, but the people of Vale shouldn't have to suffer for it." The General said, a hint of regret in his voice for not recognizing the Faunus before him.

"Maybe…" Sun agreed. "…But they will." With that, he whipped out his weapon and fired on the military leader. Ironwood easily blocked the bullets, but Sun had merely used the time to close the gap between them, viciously attacking as the soldiers from both sides fired upon each other.

The Faunus jumped up and brought down his staff with righteous fury, but Ironwood merely dodged out of the way and punched him in the face. Before Sun could recover, Ironwood gave him another punch a shot him in the chest. The shot sent Sun flying back into a building, back to the sidelines with his White Fang brethren.

Sun might've been a strong hunter, but he was no match for the General of the Atlesian Military and Headmaster of Atlas Academy.

The rest of the Atlas soldiers, despite having a numbers disadvantage, eventually managed to repel the Faunus forces under James' leadership. They were outnumbered, but years of training made up for that. In fact, Ironwood could already feel the tide of the battle turning in his bones. They would win this day. They would win back Vale.

Before the militia advanced, however, the General needed to address some movement from the buildings. While his subordinates rounded up civilians and criminals, he was surprised to find the still moving body of the Faunus he'd just brutally defeated.

"I set my gun to one of the most powerful settings it had. Any normal person would've been killed." Ironwood's eyes narrowed. "You must have aura."

"Fuck you…" Sun responded pathetically. "I'll have my revenge for what you did to me, just you wait." He tried to pick himself up, but James put a foot on his chest, pinning him to the floor.

"We don't currently have the resources to deal with enemies with aura, so I'm afraid you won't get that chance." The General leveled his gun with Sun's head. "However, die knowing that I am sorry you cannot face the justice you deserve, whatever that may be." Sun stopped struggling as everything faded to white.

* * *

Jaune whipped around and struck downwards, only just missing Neo when she teleported away. Predicting her movement, Jaune blocked a drop kick to his head, then another to his ribs.

After a few seconds of this barrage, Neo stopped her teleporting to properly engage him. Jaune tried to reach out for her aura, but the moment he made a connection, the petite killer teleported once more, managing to land a decent kick to his shin. In those few moments, a breakdown for the fight's rules was made.

Neo wouldn't be able to keep up constantly teleporting forever, lest she run of aura in the middle of the fight. This meant that she would be engaging him in a somewhat normal manner with only occasional teleporting. However, this did not mean Jaune would be able to absorb her aura in those moments, as the move would need some amount of concentration. And once Neo got wind of it, she'd teleport- breaking the connection and landing a hit on Jaune while he was preoccupied.

Essentially, their semblances cancelled each other out.

Jaune would have never assumed the polar opposite of his semblance to be teleportation, yet here he was, fighting one of his major rivals with just that semblance, putting the both of them on equal footing. Fate was funny like that.

Taking advantage of the shin kick, Neopolitan Torchwick reared back to smash the Arc's cranium, but Jaune fell into the kick, allowing Neo's swing to pass right over him. Now with the advantage, Jaune stabbed forward in an attempt to wound his opponent's dominate shoulder. With no other option, Neo teleported behind Jaune- Only to take a back kick to the stomach. Jaune rolled out of his awkward position to face her as she recovered.

There wouldn't be a mad rush of teleportation, but that didn't mean Neo wouldn't use her power when necessary. Of course, if she did predictably, Jaune would be there to punish her every time.

This time, it was Neo who engaged the fight. She swung with Roman's cane like her life depended on it- which it kinda did. Jaune easily blocked and retaliated with his own swing to the chest. Here, the one problem with Jaune's weapon came into play. He tried to use a stabbing weapon like it could be swung, and while the metal in the umbrella could certainly cause a bruise, that was by no means what it was designed for.

Moreover, there was actually a _second_ problem Jaune had with his weapon. That being, the weapon was actually _hers_.

Knowing the limitations of her parasol, Neo caught the blade as it approached with her free hand, aiming her armed had at Jaune's good eye. A wicked smirk on her face told Jaune she thought she won, but he too had an empty hand.

He turned away the end of the cane-cannon just as she pulled the trigger. The blast rocked the roof of the building they fought atop of, actually causing it cave in on certain places. Of course, a roof doesn't simply cave in half way, and soon cracks emanating from the holes spread throughout the roof in a 'spider-web' fashion.

On instinct, Jaune latched onto the one solid thing near him, Neo. And on the same instinct, Neo teleported away before she fell through a roof.

The roof of the building collapsed, but no one was there to see it.

* * *

Ruby arrived to the outskirts of Beacon in no time flat, putting Pyrrha back on the ground. Finally steady and still, the huntresses could now process what they just witnessed.

"What are we going to do?" Ruby asked aloud. "The Grimm alarm sounded, but what can we really do to a hoard like that? Even with the Atlas forces helping, the odds must still be at least three to one." The pair rushed through the main walkway as people panicked all around them. "How could so many Grimm come together right under our noses?" Atlas soldiers and robots were trying to calm the crowd down, but to little success.

 _ **BOOM!**_

Everyone went dead silent as an explosion shook the earth. No one could see what had happened and where, but a distinct feeling of 'wrongness' was on everyone's mind. As that feeling manifested into even more panic for the crowd, Pyrrha and Ruby only grew more determined to get to the bottom of things.

"I think there's something going on behind the scenes." Ruby offered to her friend, by noticing the robot she passed on her way into Beacon, it's glow turning red.

"Ozpin." Pyrrha suddenly announced, her eyes wide. "I need to get to Ozpin."

"What does-" The leader of Team RWBY was suddenly interrupted when gunshots were heard back from where they just came from. Screams sounded as the gunshots seemed to shift into that of a firefight. "Pyrrha, let's- Pyrrha?!" Ruby stopped talking when she looked back to see Pyrrha heading in the opposite direction of the shots. The team leader turned to the exit, pursing her lips and tightly gripping her weapon. "…Shit!" She finally decided, moving away from the doors to instead run after Pyrrha.

"What the hell are you doing, Pyrrha?! People are in trouble back there!" Ruby scolded her friend as the champion continued to run away from the conflict.

"Look, Ruby. You know the whole White Fang investigation that was going on between you in your team?" Pyrrha said, not even glancing at Ruby. "Well, there's a lot more going on than you'd think."

"What does _that_ mean?"

"I don't really have the time to explain right now. But Professor Ozpin can give me the power to fix whatever's going on."

"Why would the professor have the ability to give you the power to kill thousands of Grimm? You're not making sense, Pyrrha." Pyrrha suddenly stopped in her tracks, catching Ruby off guard.

"Ruby." She stated, staring directly into the young huntresses eyes. "Do you trust me?"

"Yes." Ruby responded without hesitation.

"Then trust me when I say, we need to get to Ozpin."

"… Okay."

The base of the main tower was barren by the time they arrived. Any hunters that had been here had long since left to do their duty of protecting the populace. Not Ruby and Pyrrha, though. Pyrrha called the elevator, and the pair was soon on its way. The ride up was short, but every second felt like an eternity to the resident team leader.

"This is important, Ruby. You'll see." Pyrrha assured her friend as if she sensed the guilt building up inside the reaper. If only that actually did anything to assuage Ruby's consciousness.

The elevator dinged and the doors slid open to reveal Ozpin's office. It was an absolute mess, like someone had thrown everything everywhere in a fit of rage. Directly across from them stood Ozpin, staring out the window at the burning sight of Vale in the distance as he drank from a broken coffee mug.

"Professor!" Pyrrha called out, though the man didn't turn around. "I'm ready to be the maiden- So long as you haven't found any other candidates."

"No, we haven't managed to find any other candidates, much to Ironwood's displeasure." Ozpin said, any and all emotion detached from his voice.

"Then what are we waiting for?" The champion asked.

"…It would be no use. She's here. The maiden powers pale in comparison. Vale is lost." Ruby didn't know what they were talking about, but even she was taken aback by Ozpin's words.

"B- But isn't it at least worth a shot?" The leader of Team RWBY pleaded to her teacher. At this, the Professor actually turned around.

"Miss Rose? Hmm…" Placing the coffee on his broken desk, Ozpin considered the pair before him. "Maybe this will be possible after all." Without another word, they again entered the elevator and with the push of button, they descended.

* * *

They reappeared in a clearing. Red trees stood tall around them, surrounding one very important tree in the middle. Of course, Jaune couldn't understand the importance of the clearing, but Neo understood all too well.

Roman's grave sight… And she had just brought his killer to it.

While the criminal remained distracted in her moral conundrum, Jaune took the opportunity to finally shift the playing field in his favor. He reached out with his semblance and finally made a connection with the Roman impersonator. She teleported away the instant she noticed her power start to drain, but by then it was too late. The knight shifted his location in space Neo came down from up above to deliver a drop kick. Instead, she received her own kick to the back, which sent her flying.

Regaining themselves, the two combatants stood on opposite sides of the clearing. In a sense, their roles were reversed, as Jaune now wore the cocky grin while Neo held a determined stare. Neither would lose- That, they vowed to everyone they had lost before. This battle meant more than just the two of them, more than the world itself. And at the same time, they stared each other down, the only two people in existence.

The battle for everything began now.

Bearing _her_ parasol, Jaune charged at the woman, whom Fate sent to kill him. Neo charged herself with Roman's cane, and the two clashed in the center. Jaune having the reach, he first attacked with a stab at Neo's stomach. She directed the attack away with her cane and rolled backwards along his arm, striking behind herself to bash his side. Jaune brought his right knee up into her own side, and Neo whirled around to bat him in the face.

Even disoriented by the attack, the former leader of Team JNPR still fought, striking her thigh to cause her to fall over, triggering a reset in the battle. Neo teleported back on her feet and received a front kick to the chest once she did. Neo backflipped away and lunged toward him when she landed, setting a firm shoulder in his stomach as she did. Jaune faltered but did not fall, allowing him to grab onto Neo with one hand while bashing her back with his weapon in the other. The brutal strikes landed unceasingly, even as she herself brought the cane down on the back of his shin. Crying out in a mix of pain and rage, Jaune teleported above the multicolored girl, bringing the umbrella weapon down with both hands to stab Neo through. The criminal teleported away before she could be skewered, causing Jaune to stab right into the ground.

The fight never ending, Neo's foot connected with the side of Jaune's face in their new positions. She aimed the cane-gun at him but then faltered, realizing that he was now directly in front of Roman's tree. Jaune took advantage of this as he stabbed outwards, finally drawing blood from her thigh. Unfortunately, his aim was slightly off due to his lack of depth perception, and he only managed to graze her. Reacting instantly, Neo pulled the trigger of the cane, thought at this point, her target was completely ready and able to dodge.

The tree she had found specifically to commemorate Roman's grave exploded, charred pieces of the plant falling from the sky as time passed on. Her time to mourn was brief, however, as yet another stab just barely missed her stomach, sending her back into action.

Eh, Roman wouldn't have given a damn about the tree anyway. Roman would've wanted _revenge_.

* * *

The ride down the elevator was long, and yet far too short for Ruby's liking. Still, Pyrrha and Ozpin had given her nothing but the bare minimum amount of information needed to know what's going on. She wasn't even sure they were providing her with even that much. Pyrrha was right. Whatever was going on behind the scenes was far more than she knew. And her questions all culminated with the machine.

"Who is that? _What_ is that?" The reaper desperately asked for answers, though knowing they would provide next to none.

" _She_ is the previous Fall Maiden, and _that_ is what will give me her powers." Pyrrha summarized simply, answering Ruby's questions without her companion actually knowing anything at all.

"Miss Rose, you must provide the vanguard as the process takes place." Professor Ozpin insisted, ignoring her questions entirely. "I don't know what might happen should there be any interruptions during, but I highly doubt any of us want to find out."

Sighing and knowing she wouldn't get much more than that, Ruby unsheathed her blade as Pyrrha climbed into the machine.

"So… Maidens?" The leader of Team RWBY made conversation while maintaining watch over the one entrance into the vault.

"Once upon a time, a wizard gave four young women magical powers for being nice. Plot twist, _they're real_. The end." Ozpin replied tersely as he frantically did… Whatever it is he was doing. Making sure Pyrrha didn't explode, probably.

"Right, magic's real… I'm surprised and yet not surprised at all." Ozpin snorted.

"Wait until you hear about the gods." At that comment, Ruby was going to turn around to face her headmaster, but stopped when her attention was taken by the doors of the elevator opening once more.

An arrow immediately flew out, but Ruby deftly intercepted and reentered a battle stance. Out from the elevator walked the black haired beauty, Cinder Fall.

"Move aside, girl. I'm here for my promised power." The sinister woman demanded, her hands going up in flames.

" _Cinder_! I _knew_ Jaune didn't like you for a reason." The reaper replied, not backing down in the slightest.

"Jaune _Arc_ , you mean? Well then I'm certainly glad he's dead." Cinder mocked, walking closer with a menacing confidence.

"Lies!"

"No, but believe what you'd like. The only thing that matters to me is the maiden. Now step aside or die."

"Make me." Ruby snarled uncharacteristically.

"Gladly." Immediately, the fire surrounding Cinder doubled in size, but the huntress wasted no time with the dramatics. She dashed with supersonic speed through the flames to strike her sword upon the villain's chest, only to be stopped in her tracks by Cinder's own newly formed blade.

Ruby stood still no longer than a second, practically teleporting behind Cinder to strike her back, only to be met with yet another glass weapon. The huntress tried this tactic a few more times, the flames of the enemy being put out by the force of wind she created. Unfortunately, it was no use. Ruby was unable to land a hit. Eventually, Cinder stopped trying- Standing still as she formed blades around herself in response to the attacks. Jaune had always told her to use her speed to outpace the opponent, but a new tactic was needed here.

So why not take a page out of Jaune's book? Instead of single strikes, she now switched to full on combat, regaining her position each time she dodged an attack, and never giving up her full frontal assault. Cinder's many blades and spouts of fire were a problem, but they couldn't do much when Ruby dodged them all.

After only a minute or so of this, the team leader finally saw her opening. A chink in Cinder's armour. Now all she needed to do was strike.

Taking a step back, Ruby steadied herself. Channeling all she had learned from Pyrrha and Jaune, she held her sword out in front of her, more ready than ever. Reapproaching her opponent, the reaper dodged a blast of fire and blocked a sword of glass. She ducked under a glass spear, rolled away from yet another fire blast, and then finally reached the ever so cocky Cinder. So confident in her own abilities, the woman had not retreated in the slightest from Ruby's approach. So as Ruby pointed her weapon at the black haired woman, she merely raised an eyebrow mockingly. And then the weapon shifted.

One moment, it was an ever so beautiful sword, and with the push of a button, everything changed. The shift itself was particularly enchanting to watch, but Cinder found herself more concerned with a particular aspect of the weapon- how it extended. Past any and all defenses she had in place, Cinder barely had time to turn her head as the blade approached nearly as fast as its wielder.

One cut. One cut right on her perfect face.

The pompous woman took a single step back in shock. A wall of fire bursted upwards around her to intercept any possible attack incoming, and she reached up to feel her cheek. Something warm met her finger. Something warm and something _red_. The blood instantly burned away as the flames grew even higher.

"Ruby Rose, you will pay for-!"

 _ **DING!**_

All thoughts of vengeance vanished as Cinder's attention was drawn back to the reason she'd actually come down here in the first place. The fire receded enough for her to receive a good view of the machine as it hissed open. Even Ruby stated in wonder, not taking the time to press the advantage.

Pyrrha Nikos- At least, her body- stepped out of the chamber, her face more determined than ever before.

"Miss Nikos?" The professor addresses his pupil.

"I'm here, Professor." Pyrrha- certainly, Pyrrha- assured. "Now let's kick some maiden ass." The headmaster, reaper, and champion all turned to Cinder at the same time- subconsciously causing the woman to take a step back. This wasn't how things were supposed to go! If only she hadn't played around so much with that damn huntress!

 _ **DING!**_

Yet another ding snapped Cinder out of her thoughts and turned everyone's attention to the elevator. The doors slid open, and the Queen of the Grimm stepped out cockily.

"Hello there, Ozpin. It's been a _long_ time." Cinder's smile widened as the rest grew smaller.

* * *

In hindsight, Jaune really should've found a sword during his time as an outcast in the slums. Yes, the poetic justice was not lost on him, and it was certainly a useful weapon, but… Not really his type. Really, the same went for Neo, who might as well have been using a club for this fight.

He'd previously thought on the duality of their combined semblances- and that remained true- but their choices in weaponry were anything but. Had they their rightful equipment, the fight would have certainly been a lot more bloody by now.

More bloody, but certainly no less brutal.

Every exchange left the combatants with more bruises than they'd had before, remaining ever so brief but certainly damaging. Their auras hasn't decreased by much, yet at this point the two were running on mainly willpower as their energy source.

Jaune's swing at Neo's head missed as she ducked just below and conked him on the elbow. Getting hit in the vitals sucked, but getting hit in the joints may have been worse for the long term. Jaune returned the favor, though, by kicked her bent knee just before she teleported away.

The former team leader readied himself for the next incoming attacks, but was met with none. Allowing himself to perceive more than his immediate surroundings, he saw Neo, aiming right for him with Roman's cane. The volley came down ceaselessly, needing for the knight to jump to safety only second after he landed from the previous one. He tried to teleport behind Neo, but she predicted this move, also teleporting to continue firing.

When the cane finally clicked- signifying its emptiness, Jaune sighed in relief, only to trip backwards on something under him. Vaguely, he noticed how the trees surrounding the clearing were in flames, most likely preventing any Grimm interference that they were bound to attract. Reaching to see what he had tripped on, Jaune was struck with confusion.

"Bones?" Those were the final words he spoke before Neo pounced on him, a fury in her eyes.

Did Jaune _know_ he had tripped into the grave of Roman Torchwick? No. How could he? But did this fact tamper Neo's rage any less? Absolutely not. In fact, it was really her fault that he was in the situation, considering it was her fancy shooting that kicked up the dirt in the first place, but Neo didn't exactly see it that way.

The two had both dropped their weapons to get to this position, Neo straddling his body as her small fists cracked on his face like nothing ever had before. Ever hit was a mix of aura and pure rage, as Neo released ever ounce of emotion within her to try and put down the man who'd ruined her life.

Suddenly, though, the punch she landed felt like she hit into a brick wall, and she recognized her mistake. Anger boiled away to shock as she simply sat atop Jaune- Aura-less.

"Get off me." He ordered, his word all but law. She complied, and he picked up her weapon, leveling it at her throat. They stood there silently for a moment, allowing the facts of the matter to truly sink into Neo's mind.

She had failed.

Sock manifested into sorrow as the girl fell to her knees, tears welling up in her eyes.

Neopolitan Torchwick has lost.

* * *

"Salem… Your fight is with me, not them." Ozpin immediately stepped in front of his students. Whatever sullenness the man had before was lost in the face of this new adversary.

"Oh I know, my dear. They can leave at anytime… Or they can stay to watch the _massacre_." The Queen of the Grimm smiled politely at the two huntresses.

"Girls, get to the elevator _now_." The professor ordered.

"But didn't you say we had a chance?" Ruby insisted. She still had no idea what was going on, but the presence the woman before her gave off was the mark of something important. The feeling was as if thousands of Beowulves were staring her down, just waiting to strike. If ever there was a final boss to life, she was it."

"Ozpin!" Salem declared, scandalized. "Were you lying to your followers _again_? This just won't do. Go on, tell them what you really planned to do instead of facing me like a man." The grin on her face betrayed the seriousness of her tone.

"I don't-" Ozpin started.

" _Tell_ _them_ , or they won't leave." She threatened. Ozpin looked to the ground, ashamed.

"I was going to collect the Fall Maiden's power and flee Beacon with the two of you."

"Leaving Vale to perish." Salem finished. "Always the coward, aren't you?"

"Professor…?" The newly minted Fall Maiden looked to the broken man before her.

"Just… Leave this vault alive. That's all I ask of you." The man pleaded. "I'll hold her off to the best of my abilities."

"It's about time we had a rematch." The Queen agreed. "Cinder, be a dear and go with them, won't you? This is going to be… _Personal_." She glared at Ozpin, but then seemed to remember something. "And don't break the elevator, please. I'll be using it once I'm done here."

The three girls shuffled awkwardly into the elevator at the request of the ancient being before them, unsure how to react to what had just transpired. Just as the doors closed, they were able to catch the briefest glimpse of the two magic users powering up, ready to fight. Just as well, the elevator shook periodically from the intensity of the fight below.

As the sounds of battle faded and the shaking got fainter, the huntresses and villainess were able to speak once more.

"Okay, I need to know everything. _Now_." Ruby demanded of her two lift companions.

"That was Salem, Queen of the Grimm." Pyrrha began in a dark tone.

"Future ruler of all humanity." Cinder commented, a smirk upon her face. "Normally she doesn't like to leave the Grimlands, but the fall of Vale seemed like a special occasion."

"Definitely a final boss…" The reaper muttered to herself, trying to comprehend the words just spoken to her. "So if she were to die, all the Grimm would die as well?" At this both Pyrrha and Cinder blinked.

"Uhh… I have no idea." The black haired woman admitted. "But it's not like that matters. She will never be defeated, ruling over humanity for an eternal night."

"Right… And the 'Maiden' thing?"

"A magic power that jumps from host to host, inhabiting the body of young women and giving them powers over nature itself." The champion explained.

"A power that was rightfully _mine_." Cinder snarled.

"You ambushed and attacked the previous Fall Maiden! How is that 'rightful?'" Pyrrha pointed out.

"Exactly, I kill her, I get the powers. Unfortunately, I was interrupted in the process, but that's what the whole 'Vale Attack' was for- Though _that_ was ruined as well." The 'rightful' Fall Maiden complained.

" _You_ set all this up? Should you really be telling us that?" Ruby questioned, causing Cinder to grin.

"Why not? You'll be dead as soon as we reach ground level."

 _ **DING!**_

With that ominous timing, the three stepped out of the elevator and into the main area at the bottom of the tower and readied themselves for battle.

* * *

Neo was on her knee before him- The protege of Roman, stabber of Ruby, and taker of his eye- Defeated. Yet… As he watched the petite woman silently cry at her loss, he couldn't help but feel… Empathetic.

"…I know what it's like to lose someone." His mouth began speaking before his brain registered what was happening. "People I cared for, people who I thought I could never live without." Neo silently sobbed, not looking at him, but he continued speaking anyway.

"I'm from the future. Whether you want to believe that or not doesn't matter to me. All I'm saying is, I have a chance to save those I lost. And _nothing_ will get in the way of that. No man, no woman, and not even Fate itself."

"The only reason I tell you this is because.. I know you feel the same way. Roman's death haunts your sleep like my friend's haunt mine." He paused, noticing that the girl had stopped sobbing, but still refused to look at him.

"I _am_ sorry for killing Roman, truly. He meant something to you that could never be replaced. And I truly regret taking that from you. However…" Jaune used the umbrella to make Neo look him in the eyes. "I would kill him a thousands times over if it meant bringing my friends back to life. And I know that if the roles were reversed, you'd massacre everyone I held dear to bring him back."

"If the roles were reversed, I'd like to say I'd be accepting of your actions, but that'd be a lie. I would hate you with all my soul until the day I died." The umbrella lowered from Neo's face and rested at Jaune's side. "But the roles aren't reversed."

"I'm not asking for your forgiveness. Hell, I'm not even asking you to stop hating me, but- I _am_ asking you to leave." Neo hesitantly stood as a small bit of aura flooded her system like a drug. "Just enough to teleport once." He explained.

"I've killed to protect my friends. I _will_ kill to protect my friends. But… Not everyone needs to die. Teleport away from this mess and never return. You won't have Roman, but you'll have your life. And that's all I can give you."

Jaune turned away to teleport, but stopped when a hand suddenly grabbed his wrist. The knight whirled around with the umbrella to strike, but paused short when he saw no incoming attack. Instead, he simply saw a girl, eyes pleading, lost and alone as she attached herself to the one living thing for miles around.

As soon as eye contact was made, Neo looked down, the tears starting to fall once more as she held tightly to him. They stayed in that position for less than a minute, but they practically shared an eternity together. Hate unto hate. Understanding unto understanding. Respect unto respect.

Finally, Neo let go, and Jaune turned back around. He dropped the umbrella in his hand and disappeared to the sound of shattering glass, leaving her behind. Alone.

Idly, she picked up both her old parasol and Roman's cane. Glancing at both weapons before taking in the sight of Roman's grave one last time, she breathed in deeply.

And with the sound of breaking glass, Neopolitan Torchwick vanished.

* * *

Ruby Rose was going to kill Salem.

She had to. It's what she had been training for her whole life, to be the hero. It was what _Jaune_ had trained her for- whether he knew of Salem or not. Ruby would kill the queen of all Grimm known as Salem.

It was destiny! It was inevitable!

And there's no reason to fear the inevitable…

 _So why were her hands shaking?_

Clearly, they were shaking out of worry for Pyrrha. She'd left her red haired friend to deal with Cinder all on her own. And while the champion had assured Ruby that she would be fine, the reaper couldn't help but worry for her safety. _That's_ why her hands were shaking.

She wasn't afraid of the woman who had come up the elevators to casually announce the death of Ozpin and equally as casually mentioned she would be summoning a dragon Grimm in his office. The woman rendered steel asunder with her bare hands and controlled the forces of the Grimm with nothing but her mind…

And why would she be? She was _Ruby_ _Rose_ , and she was the hero of this tale. The signs were too obvious. An epic backstory? Well, she was the daughter of two of the most successful huntsmen in the world, and she was accepted to Beacon two years early. Not to mention, that whole 'two years early' thing made her the underdog- Classic 'Hero' material. An awesome power? Well, despite her objectively amazing semblance, she didn't have much in terms of that- But it was fairly obvious that something was up with her silver eyes. She didn't know what, but both Ozpin and Jaune had mentioned them at some point. Ozpin when they first met, and Jaune in one of his many muttered aloud dreams after training. Finally, and most importantly, she had a weapon. A brutal, deadly, and awesome weapon. A weapon that would soon see itself through Salem's heart.

Ozpin has known. Jaune had known. Pyrrha has known. Sure, she was only fifteen, but Jaune and Pyrrha were only seventeen and that didn't stop _them_ from being badasses. The writing was on the wall. Ruby Rose was the hero of the story, and the hero always came out on top. This wasn't over confidence or misinformed ideals, this was fate.

 _But what if it's not enough?_

Ruby was unable to respond to her own doubting question before she was suddenly pulled back to reality when the elevator doors opened.

She had arrived.

"Hm?" Salem turned around to see Ruby enter from the elevator. The entire roof of Ozpin's office had been ripped off, exposing the two beings to the icy cold winds of the night. Ruby shivered- definitely because of the cold- but Salem didn't seem to notice. "Oh, hello there, girl. You were down with Ozpin, weren't you? I'm sorry but I didn't catch your name."

"Ruby Rose, Future Slayer of Salem." The huntress did her best to keep a stutter out of her voice as she walked closer towards the Grimm Queen with her weapon drawn.

"Ha! That's adorable. You would've done well by my side, I can tell." The evil of the world incarnate laughed. She was being… Oddly amicable. "'Rose,' 'Rose'… Was your mother named 'Summer,' by any chance?"

"She was…"

"Yes… She was another promising huntress. I was genuinely disappointed to have killed her." And… Any points Salem earned instantly disappeared in that moment.

"Then I suppose I'll be avenging her as well as saving the world." Ruby summarized. All of a sudden, the prospect of fighting this opponent became a lot less scary. Not looking to play around with the Grimm Queen, the leader of Team RWBY shifted her weapon into scythe form.

"Good luck with that." Salem replied sarcastically, causing Ruby to finally lash out.

The huntress launched herself forward and brought her modified scythe over her head. Salem held out a single finger and all the force from Ruby's attack was stopped on a dime. Instead of that force being transferred into Salem, however, the force rippled backwards at its creator, and Ruby was flung backwards to the elevators once more. Salem stared at her finger with interest as she noticed a single drop of black blood from where the connect had been made.

"Isn't that _interesting_. I haven't been hurt by a weapon in a _very_ long time. Maybe this fight will be interesting after all." Salem took a new, long look at Ruby Rose and smirked. "How appropriate it is that a girl with silver eyes would put up this new threat. I was planning on killing you as quickly as I did your mother, but you have my interest. _Let's see what you can do_."

"Oh I'll show you _exactly_ what I can do!" Ruby promised, rushing at Salem once more.

* * *

He appeared directly in front of Beacon's main tower. Jaune wasn't sure if this was where the things were going down, but the action had taken place here last time, so it was a safe bet. As soon as he stepped inside, fire exploded before him, assuaging any worries he possessed.

The scene at the bottom of the tower was a mess. Fire and- well, mainly just fire scattered around any and all chairs and other furniture previously set up. To Jaune's immediate left as he entered was the front desk to schedule any appointments with Ozpin. Despite the fact that there had never been a secretary working it, papers from the desk were scattered about, simply adding more fuel to the burning flames.

Focusing on the more important issues, the former team leader dodged out of the way of an incoming fireball launched by the resident Fall Maiden. He looked up to see Cinder and Pyrrha flying about, clashing with each other in midair. Wait… Pyrrha?

The red haired champion was indeed flying, not simply riding on a sheet of metal. Her movement was clunky as she attempted to battle Cinder while in the air- But as with all things, she was getting a hang of it quickly.

"She's the maiden." Jaune realized. That… Wasn't what happened before. Then again, barely any of what was going on today happened before, so he wasn't too surprised. Just then, Cinder's experience with the maiden power's shown through, and Pyrrha was batted back to the ground in a wave of fire. "Pyrrha!"

"Jaune?!" The campion recovered quickly, dodging yet another attack to make her way over to him. "You're here!" Noticing the new combatant, Cinder elegantly floated down to the ground, allowing Pyrrha to regain herself next to Jaune.

"So Tyrian failed, huh? Can't say I'm surprised." The black haired woman commented, playing around with the fire dancing in her hand. "I assume you killed him?"

"I did." The blond haired knight confirmed without emotion.

"Good. Never liked that crazy bastard. I think…" Cinder smirked wickedly, causing the fire around to rise. "A _thank you_ is in order."

"Yeah? So you'll leave Vale?" Jaune asked sarcastically, moving into a combat stance alongside Pyrrha. It was at this moment he realized his distinct lack of a weapon as he had left the one he was previously using with Neo… Symbolic, yes. A good idea… Maybe not. Eh, he'd be better off in hand to hand combat anyway. Umbrellas weren't really his style.

"Actually, I was thinking something a little _different_!" The witch of a woman cried out, launching a wall of fire at the two partners. They each dodged their separate ways and began to circle Cinder. "How cute, you think you can defeat me." She taunted.

"You'll be eating those words soon enough." Pyrrha insisted as less of a taunt and more of a promise. On cue, Jaune wordlessly jumped at Cinder while she looked away, and Pyrrha followed suit seconds later.

Cocky as ever- She never learned, did she?- Cinder blocked Jaune's attacks barehanded while using a black glass sword against Pyrrha. Jaune went for a straight punch to the face that Cinder caught in her hand with little effort. The team leader expected as much, and aimed a kick for her legs which was blocked by a burst of fire. Relentless, he hammered down on her wrist with his free hand, causing her to release him while she focused on her other opponent.

On the opposite end of things, Pyrrha charged in with her spear held high. A black glass blade prevent forward momentum to Cinder, but with another windup, Pyrrha shattered through the glass with her shield. Two more glass sword manifested- only to be instantly shattered by her downwards swing. Cinder might've had more experience with the maiden powers, but challenging Pyrrha on the ground was one of the worst mistakes she would ever make. Pyrrha continued her advance towards Cinder only to be caught off guard when she let go of Jaune and turned her attention to the champion. The black haired woman landed a fire powered front kick to Pyrrha's shield, causing the champion to rocket backwards.

Obviously, turning your back to an opponent was never a good idea, Jaune took full advantage when he smashed an aura powered fist into Cinder's back, causing the woman to grunt in pain. Maybe keeping the umbrella would've been a good idea after all… The fight would've been over in that moment. Whatever. Jaune continued with another strike, but his greed for blood was punished when a dark glass sword shatter across his back. His aura kept him from bleeding, but the attack hurt like hell. A wave of fire pushed him back, and Pyrrha tagged in.

A lance cut the hairs off the top of Cinder's head as she ducked from the incoming attack. She rolled out left to avoid the next strike down to the right, and she used her maiden powers to rise above the low kick. What both Pyrrha and Cinder had temporarily forgotten was that they could _literally_ fly, and it just so happened in that moment that one was reminded before the other. So when the champion readied herself to react to Cinder falling back down, the black haired woman roundhouse kicked her in the face. She then grabbed Pyrrha by the throat and pressed her advantage to the extreme with a dangerous smile.

As Pyrrha was dragged through the air, her weapons were pried from her hands, and fire and dust barraged her entire body, Jaune attempted to teleport up to help his partner. The act was fruitless as the barrier of force created by Cinder's flying proved untouchable. This savage beating continued on for minutes until Cinder's abrupt stop in the middle of the room. Pyrrha hung like a rag doll in her hand as the follower of Salem formed yet another glass sword in her free hand.

It was time to act. Finally, Jaune would be able to help his partner out. For a brief moment, he considered teleporting, but then he came up with an objective smarter idea. Why not use his actual semblance on her? The one that drains the opponent's of their aura so they can barely fight anymore… To be fair, he was somewhat fighting Cinder in the mindset of his previous life- that where his semblance was mostly useless against her- so him forgetting was somewhat excusable. Taking a deep breath, he reached out his aura.

"The champion of Beacon, all broken and alone. How sad." Cinder taunted. When Pyrrha refused to respond, she moved on. "Well, tragedies happen. Just be sure to think of only me from _now_ _on_ …" As she said this, her sword hand pulled back, preparing to strike.

In slow motion, she stabbed forward just as Jaune made his connection. With that established, the knight of Beacon drained all the aura out of Cinder he could in the quickest amount of time possible…

But he was blocked. Blocked by that force that had disabled him so much in his past life. Salem's elixir.

"No!" Jaune cried out, but it was far too late. Without so much as a stutter, Cinder's hand continued forward and pierced right though Pyrrha's stomach, just off center to the left. The champion grunted and coughed up blood, looking even more lifeless than before in that witch's grasp.

Then… She smiled.

"Got ya." The redhead choked out. In that instant, with a speed that could make even Ruby blush, Pyrrha's long forgotten spear picked itself up and made itself a home right through Cinder Fall's neck. "Just be sure to think of only me from now on…" Her grasp of Pyrrha loosened, and soon they both fell towards the ground with increasing speed.

Jaune was under his partner in an instant, catching her out of the sky safely as their opponent thumped to the ground behind them.

"Shit shit shit! No! I won't let you die again. Not again!" Instantly, the former team leader poured aura into his teammate, giving her a well needed boost to heal fairly quick. Actually, he poured in _so much_ , that it started to be _too much_.

"Jaune. Jaune! Enough! I'm alright!" Pyrrha assured him to stop the aura transfer. "I just… I just need to rest." Despite having a little too much aura, The champion was both mentally and physically beaten down by today. Jaune realizing what he'd done, quickly rectified his mistake and took back some aura.

"Heh… Sorry, Pyrrha. I thought… Nevermind." The knight said bashfully, placing Pyrrha on her feet and helping her walk over to a nice and steady walk to lean on. "At least it's all over, right?" The champion's eyes went wide and that basically said it all.

"Ruby! She's went to Ozpin's office to confront Salem! We need to-" She winced from her recently healed wound. " _You_ need to help her!" She corrected.

"Salem?! Here?!"

"There's no time! Go!"

And with that, Jaune was off. No time to celebrate a victory, no time to take a breather. Pyrrha didn't have time to register that Jaune really shouldn't have known who Salem was. This was truly the end of the end-

And the End waited for no man.

* * *

Salem was… Tough. Certainly made sense for the countless years she'd been alive and fighting, but she was _really_ tough. Ruby assumed this would be the case going in, yet she couldn't help but be surprised at just how true it was.

The Queen of the Grimm had no weapon on her, and was thus forced to block Ruby's attacks with her bare hands. This resulted in a surprising amount of cuts landing on the woman, which produced an equally surprising amount of black blood. If anyone saw the aftermath of the scene as it was now, they would think Ruby absolutely kicked Salem's ass.

This was, unfortunately, not the case.

Salem emitted some type of aura about her that required the aspiring huntress to use exorbitant amounts of force to get close enough to make said cuts on the Queen's hands. Of course, every time Ruby used that force and made contact, Salem would deflect the power backwards, battering the team leader with waves of pressure. The first couple times were fine, but after over twenty attacks… Well, Ruby Rose was feeling a little worse for ware.

"I thought this would be more interesting," Salem announced as Ruby was yet again rocketed to the elevators. "But it seems I was mistaken. My apologies, I'll be sure to end you quickly for my mistake in judgement."

"I… Hate… You…" Ruby panted, leaning against the metal doors. Every part of her body ached. Did she really hit that hard or was Salem enhancing the blows?

"Yes, I figured as much." Salem nodded, summoning black energy into her bleeding hands. "Goodbye Ruby R-"

 _ **DING!**_

The doors Ruby had been leaning on parted, and her head fell back to the floor. Above her was one of the most beautiful sights she'd ever seen.

" _Jaune_ …"

"Need a hand, Crater-Face?"

"You- Your here! Why-? How?!" Crater-Face stuttered out a question.

"The elevator." He replied cheekily. He grinned as he helped her up, but the smile didn't reach his eyes.

"Yeah, just ignore me. That's fine." Salem sarcastically called from her position across from them. Jaune glared and turned back to Ruby.

"Look, Ruby. I've made so many mistakes in my life. In _this_ life. But no more. I'm here to fix everything. You don't need to worry about a thing any more. Do you still have Crocea Mors?"

"I- I- Yes. Kinda." The huntress reached for her scythe and changed it back into a sword. Bashfully, she offered it to him. "I may have… 'Modified' it a bit. But I figure, what a hero without an awesome weapon? Heh…"

Internally Jaune frowned. 'Hero.' That's what she was- What he _made_ her to be. But it wasn't true, was it? All this time, he'd tried to place his responsibilities on her, tried to give her _his_ position. No longer. It was about damn time he took his responsibilities _back_.

"Do you like it?" Ruby asked so innocently, he wouldn't have been able to say 'no' even if he tried.

"Absolutely. About time that old blade got an upgrade. We really rocked it out of the park." Jaune told her with complete sincerity as he examined the weapon. "What's its name?"

"'Crescent Mors.' I originally planned for it to be 'Crocea Rose,' but 'crescents' are sort of like 'arcs' so I thought it fit better."

"'Crescent Mors'… Rolls off the tongue, I think." They shared a smile together until Ruby's face suddenly shifted to guilt.

"Jaune, I tried to fight her, but I-" Jaune cut her off with a kiss on the lips. It was nothing special- a peck, really- but to Ruby, it meant everything.

"I'm here to fix _everything_ , remember? I'll take care of it." The former team leader promised. "I love you, Ruby. But please forgive me."

"Forgive you for-?" The reaper's sentence was her again cut off, but this time from a sudden feeling of dizziness. She tried to remain conscious, but it became harder and harder by the second. "Jaune… I…" And with that, it was lights out for Ruby Rose.

Jaune gently placed her back in the elevator as he returned her aura to her. At some point in his previous life, Jaune had picked up a simple trick to get any tired person to finally sleep by taking away their aura for a few seconds. He'd only ever used it on Ruby once- Blake, on the other hand, countless times. The first floor button was pushed, and a sleeping Rose descended away from the chaos for the last time.

"How sweet." Salem noted, though Jaune doubted the sincerity her words conveyed.

"You certainly let us take our time." The time traveler commented, twirling this new blade.

"All the time in the world for _you_." The Queen assured.

"We've never met before." Jaune pointed out.

"Of course not. I've never seen you before in my life."

"You sent Tyrian specifically to kill me."

"Well, we could've have you ruining our plans _again_."

"'Again?' So you've done this before?"

"I was referring to your assassination of one Roman Torchwick, actually."

"Right, right…" Jaune shook his head. "So you don't remember the future at all?" He asked blatantly.

"'Remember the future'…? What an interesting concept. But no, I do not." Lies. She was so obviously lying, but what the hell could he do about it?

"You won't be giving me any answers, will you?" He finally questioned, though it was more of a statement than a question.

"I will not tell you how you traveled back in time, no." Salem assured.

"You-!" The knight began but stopped with a huff. "Fine. Let's do this." With all the power he could, Jaune Arc pushes himself through Salem's barrier and made contact with her hand.

Then everything went white.

* * *

He found himself awake- sleeping- in a void. There was nothing, yet light of everything was blinding. He sat- floated- stood- there for only a minute- hour- eternity- before a ball of light came to him.

A ball of light in a pure white void, imperceptible yet bizarrely attracting to the eyes. He reached out to it as if it knew the answers to his every question, but it was too far away.

 _Back again, huh?_

A voice disrupted the silence of the void. It seemed to be the voices of everyone he'd ever met combined, but one voice shines through the others, making it distinctly feminine.

 _I didn't think you'd be back so soon. You were so close this time as well. A shame, really._

"W- What…?" He attempted to speak, but struggled immensely to do so. "Is…?"

 _Though I suppose that time was also very messy. You were the hero, she was the hero. It was all so confusing._

The voice completely ignored his question.

"Who…?"

 _Who was the Hero? Ugh. Does it really even matter?_

"Hero…?"

 _What even is a 'Hero' Anyway? Is it someone who does the 'right' thing or is it someone who beats the boss? Are they even mutually exclusive to each other?_

"Ruby…"

 _Ah yes, you and Ruby. Personally, I thought you'd go for Pyrrha this time around- Though I suppose marriage does that to a person._

"Okay…?"

 _Is she okay? Is anyone okay in today's society, truly? There's so much behind the scenes. The people living in ignorance certainly think they're okay, but are they really? You're here now, but are you okay?_

"Fate…?"

 _Fate. Destiny. Those words we so many things to so many people. Some hate the idea of thinking that they are on some type of railroad. They reject the possibility completely and decide that there is no fate. Some, on the other hand, are comforted by it. Where will they end up? Fateknows. It'll always be that way, so why worry? Or, they'll make their own destiny. Carve themselves a path in history. Tell me, Jaune Arc. After all you've been through, after everything you've done… Do you believe in destiny?_

"..."

"..."

"..."

"Yes."

 _Well then… Let's give it another go._

And everything was gone once more.

* * *

 **Longest Chapter to date, over 9k words. Fitting for the final chapter, after all.**

 **Some notes, I don't like that the timing is off for this chapter compared to the previous one, but it doesn't matter. Also, I much preferred writing the dialogue of this chapter than the fights, but due to the nature of the chapter- being a final one- fights were kinda necessary.**

 **I changed Salem's immortality with invulnerability. I had all this planned out before Volume Six literally changed everything, so it's whatever.**

 **Also, a minor thing. Realistically, Roman's body shouldn't be bones by now, but I thought it would be just too weird to have Jaune stumble over the literal corpse of Roman Torchwick, so let's just say that there are Grimm worms in Remnant that decompose bodies within a month or something.**

 **That's all for my end, thank you as always for your reviews. The epilogue will come out soon to have a proper goodbye to this story, but if you're craving my writing after this, try (Shameless Plug) _New Game Plus_ , my other active RWBY story.**

 **Until next time,**

 **-RMV**


	30. The Beginning

"Well… Actually, my friends are here. Gotta go catch up. 'Kay, see ya, bye!" Yang sprinted away with a group of people, leaving her sister behind.

"Y-Yang?" Ruby asked in confusion, blinking as she took her her surroundings. "I… I'm back! And I remember…" The reaper stopped and concentrated, trying to remember her previous life. "Two times…?" Before she could think on it anymore, she spotted Weiss and ran to her. "Weiss, Weiss! Do you remember me?"

Halfway there to the heiress, however, the former team leader tripped over some luggage, causing Dust to spill out.

"You dolt! Be careful with that!" Weiss reprimanded. "Do you even know what Dust is? By your calls, you clearly know who I am, of course. But I am severely doubting your intelligence right now." Completely expecting the bitchy exterior, Ruby didn't bat an eye.

"Weiss, your Dust isn't important right now! Please tell me you remember me! _Please_!" The heiress' eyebrows furrowed as she looked Ruby over, but there was no hint of recognition.

"No, I have no idea who you are. And-"

"So this is the Schnee Heiress I've heard so much about." Blake suddenly appeared in their conversation to comment. Both Ruby and Weiss were taken off guard by her sneaking up on them.

"B-Blake! I-" At this, Ruby instantly whirled around to Weiss, who had spoke the comment.

"You said her name! You _do_ remember!"

"I…" Weiss started speaking, but soon trailed off as she and Blake stared at each other.

"Hey ladies, what's going on around here?" A voice most precious to the reaper sounded. "H- Woah!" As soon as Jaune was in range, Ruby grabbed him by the hands and pulled him in close.

" _Jaune_." She said. " _You_ remember me. You _must_ remember me. I mean, you were the one who went back first, anyway!"

"I- I…" Jaune withered under his unknown wife's intense look. "I'm sorry…" He finally offered.

Hearing this, Ruby's eyes fell downcast and a sense of sorrow overtook her. He didn't remember. Weiss seemed like she might, maybe Blake too. But Jaune didn't… And that was-

"Ruby?" Jaune suddenly tried, clearly taking a guess at her name.

At _this_ , the huntress immediately grabbed Jaune's face and pulled him downwards into a kiss. Not just a peck on the lips, but a full fledged kiss like they used to share so long ago.

"We'll make things right this time, Jaune. Just you and me." Ruby promised her spouse with a wicked happy smile on her face from Jaune's shocked and pleased look. Then she stopped and thought about it. "…And Maybe Pyrrha too."

"I _love_ you." Jaune responded simply. For that, she rewarded him with yet another kiss.

This time, they would get things right.

* * *

 **And that's** _ **The Hero**_ **completed. I'd like to give a big thank you to everyone who has followed, favorited, and reviewed over the past years or so. You guys are the reason I started this story, and you're the reason I finished it. I can't quite express in words my gratitude for your support, but know that it is immense.**

 **Now for the final review response:**

 **Yes, this story should have been called "The Trash" because Jaune is trash. Unfortunately, it's a little too late in the game to change things now, so I'll leave it as is.**

 **(As for any speculative reviews, I'm almost positive this ending doesn't answer any of your questions, but I have to be honest... I was _never_ _going_ _to_.)**

 **A quick plug to my other story,** _ **New Game Plus**_ **. If you happen to enjoy my writing, feel free to follow that- It'll be hopefully receiving more frequent updates now that this story is over.**

 **Once again, you guys have been awesome and until next time,**

 **-RMV**


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